Alexander will serve as a bulk reliever for the Rays in Sunday's game versus the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Shawn Armstrong will open things for Tampa Bay before Alexander takes over. Alexander won the final spot in the Rays' rotation with a solid spring, but him being used as a bulk reliever rather than a traditional starter could be a regular occurrence.

Alexander has won the final spot in the Rays' Opening Day rotation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alexander will pitch in the Rays' fourth game of the season Sunday against the Blue Jays, though it's possible he will follow an opener. The left-hander was used as a full-time reliever last season with the Tigers, but he has plenty of past starting experience and was stretched out to 89 pitches in a minor-league game Sunday. Alexander could be shifted to the bullpen when Shane Baz (elbow) and/or Taj Bradley (pectoral) are ready to return from the injured list, but that might be a while.

Alexander threw 89 pitches and completed six innings in a minor-league game Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alexander is competing for the fifth starting job for the Rays to open the season with both Shane Baz (elbow) and Taj Bradley (pectoral) sidelined. In addition to his outing Sunday, Alexander also threw five innings in a March 19 Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Jacob Waguespack -- another contender for the rotation -- has worked significantly shorter stints.

Alexander is a candidate to open the year as the Rays' No. 5 starter with Taj Bradley (pectoral) ruled out for the start of the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

A partial lat tear ended Alexander's season in July and the Tigers decided to move on in November. The Rays claimed Alexander off waivers and may need him for important innings right away with Bradley shut down for a couple weeks. Alexander threw over 100 big-league frames for Detroit in 2021 and 2022 and has been building up for a substantial workload this spring. Jacob Lopez, Naoyuki Uwasawa, Jacob Waguespack and Chris Devenski were also mentioned as possible replacements in the starting rotation.

Alexander (lat) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

While he was with the Tigers last season, Alexander didn't make any appearances after July 2 due to a left lat strain. He's seemingly entering his first Rays camp with few restrictions, if any, as he was throwing Wednesday alongside the team's other healthy relievers. The lefty turned in an unremarkable 4.50 ERA in 44 appearances with Detroit in 2023, but he had stronger underlying metrics (3.66 xERA, 3.48 SIERA, career-best 21.5 K-BB%). The Rays claimed him off waivers in November after the Tigers non-tendered him and are hoping that he can serve as a reliable multi-inning option out of the bullpen.

Alexander (lat) signed a one-year contract with the Rays on Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alexander was claimed off waivers from the Tigers last week. He finished the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list because of a partial lat tear but struck out 44 batters and issued only five walks over 44 innings when healthy.

The Rays claimed Alexander (lat) off waivers from the Tigers on Friday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alexander missed much of the 2023 campaign with a tear in his left lat, although he's been throwing for a couple months and should be ready for spring training. The left-hander holds a career 4.38 ERA and 273:74 K:BB over 341.1 career major-league innings. He could operate as a swingman in Tampa Bay.

The Tigers designated Alexander (lat) for assignment Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Before his season came to an end in July when he suffered a partial tear to his left lat, Alexander had enjoyed a solid season out of the Detroit bullpen. He pitched to a so-so 4.50 ERA, but most of Alexander's peripherals (3.66 xERA, 21.5 K-BB%) were encouraging. Alexander had advanced to throwing long toss in September, so he should be tracking toward a return to full health by spring training. Though he's no longer a member of Detroit's 40-man roster, the 29-year-old lefty could make for an appealing flyer for another organization via a waiver claim.

Alexander (lat) has begun throwing on flat ground, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alexander has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a partial tear in his left lat which he suffered back in early July. It's a good sign that he's throwing again, though, which should set him up to have a relatively normal offseason.

Alexander won't require surgery for the partial tear in his left lat and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in 2024, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 28-year-old will still miss the rest of the season while recovering from the injury, but the fact he won't require surgery is an encouraging development. According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Alexander's rest-and-rehab program will start with being shut down from throwing for the next three months, but he should still have plenty of time to build his arm back up during the offseason.