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Rays Recall Trevor Martin, Option Michael Grove After Fourth Straight Win
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- Rays Recall Trevor Martin, Option Michael Grove After Fourth Straight Win
The Tampa Bay Rays recalled right-handed reliever Trevor Martin from Triple-A Durham and optioned right-handed reliever Michael Grove on Sunday.
The move comes one day after Grove made his 2026 season debut, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out four batters against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. Grove threw 34 pitches in the outing and was unavailable to pitch Sunday, making the swap a straightforward roster management decision rather than a reflection of his performance.
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Grove's path back to the active roster had been a long one. He underwent surgery in March 2025 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, keeping him out through the start of the 2026 season.
Grove was reinstated from the 60-day injured list June 21 before being optioned to Durham to continue building up his pitch count, then recalled June 25 to bolster a bullpen already dealing with the absences of left-hander Steven Matz, on the 15-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, and Jesse Scholtens, sidelined with a wrist injury.
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Saturday's debut was his first big-league appearance since before the surgery, and he delivered, posting a 0.00 ERA and a 0.33 WHIP across three scoreless innings of long relief.
Martin has been one of the more dependable arms at Triple-A Durham since being optioned June 3, posting a 1.90 ERA across 23 2/3 innings with the affiliate this year. His five big-league appearances this season produced a 4.35 ERA across 10 1/3 innings before the Rays sent him down to sharpen his command and build consistency out of the bullpen. He gives Tampa Bay confidence as a multi-inning option if called upon Sunday.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16)Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Rays enter Sunday's series finale against Arizona riding a four-game winning streak, their longest since May, and sitting first in the American League East with a 47-33 record after reclaiming the top spot in the division on winning percentage over the New York Yankees on June 27.
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The front office moved quickly to ensure a fresh arm was available for the finale, and with Matz and Scholtens both sidelined, protecting bullpen depth has become a priority.
Tampa Bay's willingness to aggressively manage the shuttle between Durham and the active roster reflects how seriously the organization is treating what has become a genuine AL East division race, and Sunday's move is the latest example of that approach.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
