Uceta misses the World Baseball Classic due to injury; Rays trust in his debut

Edwin Uceta Misses the World Baseball Classic Due to Shoulder Discomfort

Dominican pitcher Edwin Uceta will not be part of the Dominican Republic team in the next World Baseball Classic due to shoulder discomfort, according to sources close to the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite this setback, the Rays are confident that Uceta will be available for the Opening Day of the season.

“He’s been doing all his work, but when he mentioned he wasn’t feeling 100%, we understood that, given how important he is to our team and our bullpen, the most sensible thing was to keep him here, treat him and allow him to move forward at his own pace instead of speeding up the process,” Cash noted.

Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Manager

Rays manager Kevin Cash explained that Uceta felt a slight discomfort in his shoulder after joining spring training last week. Although the pitcher did bullpen sessions and threw recently without problems, he preferred not to risk aggravating the situation. This decision allows Uceta to focus on his recovery and preparation for the regular season, which will begin on March 26 in St. Louis. The Rays have almost six weeks to manage the reliever’s progression. Uceta, who had expressed his desire to represent his country, will now focus on being ready for the start of the season with Tampa Bay.