Englert Seizes Starting Role in Rays' Rotation
After pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings at Fenway Park on May 8, Mason Englert was optioned to Triple-A Durham. The Tampa Bay Rays sent the right-hander to the Minors with a clear developmental objective: build him back into a starter.
That strategic reset is now paying dividends. Englert started three games for Durham last month, working 4 2/3 innings in the first two before stretching out to six innings on 84 pitches on May 26. When the Rays recalled him to fill a bullpen need last Wednesday, his five-inning relief appearance against his former Detroit Tigers teammates served as a proof of concept.
A Structural Shift in the Rotation
With Steven Matz temporarily moving out of the rotation and into the bullpen, Englert is sliding out of the 'pen and claiming a spot on Tampa Bay's starting staff. The 26-year-old right-hander is slated to pitch in some type of bulk-inning capacity, either starting or coming in after an opener, when the Rays begin a three-game series against the Red Sox on Monday night at Tropicana Field.
The opportunity carries significant weight for Englert, who started during his first two seasons in the Minors before the Tigers selected him in the Rule 5 Draft and kept him primarily in their bullpen in 2023-24.