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Rays lefty Matt Moore left his start against the Royals after five innings due to what has been called "elbow soreness." The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reports that Moore will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury.
The Tommy John surgery implications are unavoidable, especially after so many notable pitchers have gone down recently.
Rays athletic trainer Ron Porterfield performed an initial exam at the stadium. He said he considered the injury to be less serious than the setback Moore sustained last season that caused him to miss more than a month with soreness.
Even if the 24-year-old avoids a serious injury, there will be some concern that Tommy John surgery is in his near future.
If Moore misses significant time this season the Rays could turn to veteran starter Erik Bedard or prospects Enny Romero and/or Nate Karns. Left hander Mike Montgomery could also enter into the discussion.
Moore has put up a 2.70 ERA in two starts this season and posted a 3.29 ERA in just over 150 innings last season. He finished ninth in AL Cy Young balloting.