Ryan Pepiot's return to the Rays now delayed until late May

CHICAGO - Ryan Pepiot's return to the Rays rotation will be delayed until at least late May given ongoing discomfort in his right hip.

Pepiot was sidelined the last week of spring training by inflammation in the hip, and the Rays at the time said the expected him to miss only about two weeks and return in early April.

Pepiot kept throwing regularly, including a 25-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, but "just wasn't quite feeling like himself," manager Kevin Cash said.

Pepiot went to Nashville for a Monday visit with specialist Dr. Thomas Byrd and received a cortisone injection, with plans to be shut down from throwing for four to five days and, Cash said, "let that heal up and then get a ball back in his hand."

Cash said Pepiot is "doing better," but at this point it will have been long enough since his last game, March 17, that "just the buildup of a starter workload, it's going to take a little bit."

Pepiot was shifted from the 15- to 60-day injured list Tuesday as the Rays needed space on the 40-man roster to add right-hander Michael Grove, who signed as a free agent. Pepiot's first day of return would be May 24.

Grove, 29, is recovering from March 2025 right shoulder surgery. He pitched 2022-24 with the Dodgers, going 7-7 with a 5.48 ERA and was not re-signed after last season.

Rays officials saw him throw recently at a workout in Tampa and signed him with the expectation he will start facing hitters in about three weeks and could be ready to pitch in the majors sometime in June.

Grove was placed on the 15-day injured list for now and has an option remaining so he could be sent to the minors when healthy.

Scholtens returns to Chicago

Jesse Scholtens will always appreciate the opportunity the White Sox provided him.

Chicago picked him up after the 2022 season when he was let go by the Padres, who drafted him in the ninth round in 2016 but didn't send him past Triple A.

The Sox gave him his first chance to pitch in the majors (2023), get his first save and first win, make his first starts.

And the Sox, after seeing him blow out his right elbow in February 2024, have Tommy John surgery and work his way to pitching at Triple A by May 2025, were the ones who dropped him from their 40-man roster in August, allowing him to be claimed by the Rays.

All of which is the backstory - along with a recent elbow strain for Rays starter Joe Boyle, who had been filling in for Ryan Pepiot - for how Scholtens will be pitching against the Sox on Wednesday night.

"I have nothing but respect for the people over there. They treated me well in my time here," Scholtens, 32, said Tuesday. "But right now, I'm a Tampa Bay Ray. So what comes to mind is helping the Tampa Bay Rays win a ball game.''

Cole Sulser will be the opener, with Scholtens slated to work bulk innings.

The Rays liked Scholtens enough to bring him up near the end of last season, though he was sent to Triple A after an unimpressive showing in spring training.

But with Drew Rasmussen missing a start due to the early birth of his daughter and then Boyle going down, they summoned him and he delivered, working 4 2/3 scoreless innings on April 7.

Pitching coach Kyle Snyder said they've been encouraged with how the quality of his pitches improved from September as he was past the surgery and missed time.

"He's come in, stuff's better. He's moving faster. And the velocity is up," Snyder said. "We added a sinker and a kick change in spring training, and he put on a pretty impressive performance (last week). So I think he's definitely somebody that's going to help us out."

Jonny be good

Jonathan Aranda has a special spot in Rays history after his game-winning fielder's choice RBI in the 10th inning Saturday.

Add that to his 10th-inning homer on April 19, 2025, at Steinbrenner Field, and he is the first Ray to have multiple career walk-off plate appearances against the Yankees.

He also is the fourth player in the wild-card era (since 1995) to have more than one against the Yankees, joining Vernon Wells and ex-Rays Nelson Cruz and Tommy Pham.

Aranda also, per Stats Perform, is just the fourth player in more than 50 years to have his first two walk-offs against the Yankees, joining Jim Gantner, Cory Snyder and Bo Bichette.

Miscellany

The Rays will wear their light blue jerseys for the first time this season on Wednesday for the league-wide Jackie Robinson Day celebration. ... Chandler Simpson extended his streak and has reached base in each of the Rays' 16 games, with hits in 15. ... Reliever Edwin Uceta (right shoulder inflammation) moved his rehab from Double-A Montgomery to Triple-A Durham but didn't pitch Tuesday. Second baseman Gavin Lux (right shoulder impingement) hasn't played since rolling his left ankle Saturday. ... Rays 2024 top pick outfielder Theo Gillen won player of the week honors in the High-A South Atlantic League and 2025 top pick shortstop Daniel Pierce did the same in the Class-A Carolina League.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM.