Pete Fairbanks DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks got the final three outs to preserve a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Fairbanks threw a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one and walking one, to convert his second save in as many chances this season. The veteran reliever has been excellent to begin the year, posting a 1-1 record, 1.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and seven strikeouts in five innings of work. Fairbanks has a solid grip on the ninth-inning role for Tampa and should continue to see the bulk of the team's save chances.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks (lat) won't take the mound again this season, according to manager Kevin Cash. The right-hander has been sidelined since mid-August due to a lat strain. The Rays have been going with closer-by-committee while Fairbanks has been sidelined. Edwin Uceta appears to be the favorite for the final frame. He is putting together a breakout campaign with a 1.42 ERA and 53 strikeouts across 26 appearances this season. However, Uceta only has three saves to his name this season, so he's not a great fantasy asset in that aspect.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks (lat) resumed throwing on Saturday. Manager Kevin Cash provided an update Friday saying the pitcher was "asymptomatic" from his strain, clearing the path for the 30-year-old to resume throwing. Fairbanks was initially expected to be shut down from throwing for 2-4 weeks so the step towards resuming throwing activities on Saturday puts him on the fast end of the recovery process. Right now there is no announced timetable for Fairbanks' return to the Rays though the expectation is that he will be able to rejoin the club in late September. For many fantasy managers this likely won't provide much value to their rosters. Fantasy managers in need of help for relief pitchers can look at Rays reliever Manuel Rodriguez, who has a 1.69 ERA and two saves in 10.2 innings pitched over the last 30 days.