It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
The Rays started the season on a 14-5 run, proving to be the most dominant team in baseball over the first three weeks. They held their own well into May. Then some leaks started leaking water through the hull. Fast forward two more months and the Rays might need to begin bailing water, and that comes through three key losses from the roster:
Tyler Glasnow, who performed like the best pitcher in baseball with a 1.27 ERA, strained his elbow in mid-May. The Rays closer Jose Alvarado stepped away from the game for several weeks in June to deal with family issues.