Joe Boyle News: Slated for multi-inning relief role

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Thursday that Boyle will open the second half in a multi-inning relief role, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Boyle served in a piggyback role with Drew Rasmussen in his two appearances with the big club this month, throwing a total of nine innings while yielding three runs (two earned) with an 8:3 K:BB. However, Rasmussen is set to resume a normal starter workload after the break, and Neander mentioned Thursday that Boyle would be used for 2-to-3 innings at a time moving forward. It severely limits Boyle's fantasy outlook, should he remain in that role. However, there remains a good chance the righty will eventually find his way into the Rays' rotation, whether it be due to injury or trade of another starter. Boyle boasts a 1.29 ERA and 15:5 K:BB over 14 major-league innings in 2025 and has collected a 1.85 ERA and 96:31 K:BB across 73 frames at Triple-A Durham.