RICHARD LOVELADY NEWS

Added to 40-man roster The Blue Jays selected Lovelady's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Impact Manager John Schneider said Monday that Lovelady is still competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but the Blue Jays elected to go ahead and add him to their 40-man roster now, likely due to an opt-out in the reliever's minor-league contract. Lovelady does not have minor-league options left, so he would need to go through waivers first if the club wanted to send him to Buffalo. The southpaw has allowed five runs (four earned) with an 8:3 K:BB in seven innings this spring.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Inks NRI contract with Toronto The Blue Jays signed Lovelady to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Impact Lovelady posted a 4.46 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 34.1 innings between the Cubs and Rays in 2024. The left-handed reliever has limited lefty hitters to a .232/.312/.342 batting line in his career and will compete for a spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen.

JANUARY 22 • ROTOWIRE

2024 MLB Non-Tender Free Agents

2024 MLB Non-Tender Free Agents

NOVEMBER 23, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Non-tendered by Tampa Bay The Rays non-tendered Lovelady on Friday.

Impact Lovelady was designated for assignment by the Rays on Tuesday, and he'll now officially enter free agency and look to sign with a team in need of a southpaw out of the bullpen. Across 35 major-league appearances between the Cubs and Rays in 2024, Lovelady posted a 4.46 ER and 1.31 WHIP over 34.1 innings

NOVEMBER 23, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Removed from 40-man roster The Rays designated Lovelady for assignment Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Lovelady is a roster casualty as the Rays look to clear space on Rule 5 Draft protection day. The lefty reliever holds a career 4.98 ERA and 90:36 K:BB over 99.1 innings covering parts of five big-league seasons.

NOVEMBER 19, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Secures second save Lovelady pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save over the Guardians on Thursday.

Impact Lovelady relieved Manuel Rodriguez to open the bottom of the ninth and managed to retire the side in order on just six pitches to lock down his second save of the campaign. It was a nice bounceback performance for the southpaw after he surrendered two runs and took the loss in his previous outing on Tuesday. It also marked Lovelady's first save opportunity since Aug. 17 against the Diamondbacks and he's now held opponents scoreless in six of his last seven relief appearances.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Mookie Betts' 2-run homer in the 8th inning propels Dodgers to 3-1 victory over Rays

Mookie Betts hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to take the weekend series

AUGUST 25, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Four-out save Lovelady didn't allow a baserunner across 1.1 scoreless innings to pick up the save Saturday against Arizona.

Impact Manuel Rodriguez began the eighth inning with a 6-1 lead but loaded the bases with two outs. Lovelady was called in to get out of the jam and induced a groundout against lefty Corbin Carroll to end the frame. He then remained in the contest and completed a clean ninth inning to earn his second career save unconventionally. Pete Fairbanks remains the primary closer for the Rays.

AUGUST 18, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Lowe, Carlson spark Rays to a 6-4 victory over Cardinals to avoid a sweep

Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer and former Cardinal Dylan Carlson drove in two runs to help the Tampa Bay Rays avoid a sweep by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4

AUGUST 9, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Activated from injured list The Rays activated Lovelady (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Lovelady has been on the sidelines since early June with a flexor strain, but he's been cleared to return after making 11 rehab appearances, the last six of which were scoreless. Hunter Bigge has been sent down in a corresponding move.

AUGUST 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Rehab continuing at Triple-A Lovelady's (forearm) rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Steve Carney of StPeteNine.com reports.

Impact Lovelady made his first rehab appearance Monday with the Rays' Florida Complex League Affiliate, but yielded four runs over two-thirds of an inning before being pulled. Still, he'll be bumped up to Durham to continue his rehab from a strained left forearm.

JULY 9, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Cleared for rehab assignment Lovelady (forearm) was sent to the Rays' Florida Complex League affiliate Monday to begin a rehab assignment.

Impact Lovelady has been shelved since early June with a left forearm flexor strain but has been cleared to test things out in a game setting. The left-handed reliever has posted a 7.36 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across 7.1 innings with the Rays this season and appears poised for a return at the start of the second half.

JULY 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Rays and Nationals meet, winner claims 3-game series

Both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Washington Nationals are looking for a series win with a victory on Sunday

JUNE 30, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nationals take 4-game losing streak into matchup with the Rays

The Washington Nationals look to stop their four-game losing streak with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays

JUNE 29, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rays host the Nationals in first of 3-game series

The Tampa Bay Rays host the Washington Nationals to open a three-game series

JUNE 28, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mateo's 2-run double in the 6th lifts Orioles to a 3-1 victory over Rays

Jorge Mateo hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the sixth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1

JUNE 1, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Siri ties it in 9th with homer, Palacios hits walk-off RBI in 12th as Rays beat Athletics 6-5

Jose Siri tied the game in the ninth with a home run and Richie Palacios hit an RBI single in the 12th to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics

MAY 30, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Velázquez homers and has RBI double in 3-run 11th as Royals beat Rays 7-4 for eighth consecutive win

Nelson Velázquez homered and had an RBI double in a three-run 11th inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 for their eighth straight win

MAY 25, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rays opening-day starter Zach Eflin placed on IL with lower back inflammation

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed opening-day starter Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list with lower back inflammation

MAY 20, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rays acquire LHP Richard Lovelady from Cubs The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Richard Lovelady from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in exchange for fellow left-handed pitcher Jeff Belge.The Ray...

MAY 18, 2024 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Cubs add bullpen depth by acquiring right-hander Tyson Miller from Mariners

The Chicago Cubs have added bullpen depth by acquiring right-hander Tyson Miller from the Seattle Mariners

MAY 14, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cubs place LHP Jordan Wicks on 15-day IL, demote LHP Luke Little to Iowa

The Chicago Cubs have placed left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list with a strained forearm

APRIL 28, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Outrighted to Triple-A The Athletics outrighted Lovelady (forearm) to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Impact Lovelady held a 4.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 24:10 K:BB through 23.1 innings of relief this season with the A's before missing the entire second half because of a severe left forearm strain. The 28-year-old southpaw is officially off the 40-man roster in Oakland, though he'll remain part of the organization for the time being.

OCTOBER 4, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes to 60-day IL The Athletics transferred Lovelady (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Impact Lovelady's move to the 60-day IL was merely a formality after he had already been ruled out for the season with a strained left forearm. The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Sean Newcomb, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

AUGUST 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Shut down for season Athletics manager Mark Kotsay announced Saturday that Lovelady (forearm) has been shut down for the remainder of the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Impact Kotsay didn't provide any other information, but Lovelady's weekend visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache apparently didn't yield encouraging news for his injured left forearm. The 28-year-old reliever finishes the 2023 campaign with a 4.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 24:10 K:BB in 23.1 innings.

JULY 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE