Tampa Bay Rays reliever Colin Poche was placed on the 45-day injured list and will miss the 2020 season after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, the team announced Tuesday, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
Tommy John surgery has been recommended, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It would be Poche's second time undergoing the procedure. He previously underwent the surgery during his sophomore NCAA season at Arkansas.
He'll likely also miss a large portion of his 2021 season.
Poche was expected to play an important role in the Rays' bullpen this year. As a rookie in 2019, the 26-year-old posted a 4.70 ERA (95 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts with 19 walks and two saves across 51 appearances. He was also effective in the playoffs, pitching to a 2.08 ERA and 0.46 WHIP over five ALDS appearances.
In a corresponding move, catcher Kevan Smith was added to the 40-man roster, according to Topkin.
