The Rays announced that right-hander Michael Grove has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for righty Brody Hopkins, whose contract was selected earlier today.

Formerly a standout in the Dodgers farm system, Grove earned a World Series ring with L.A. in 2024 but delivered only a 5.48 ERA over 149 1/3 innings for the team from 2022-24.  His participation in the 2024 playoffs was cut short by a shoulder issue that required surgery in March 2025, which put Grove on the sidelines for over a year.  The Dodgers outrighted Grove last November and he elected minor league free agency, though it took him until April to catch on with the Rays on a split contract.

The final stage of Grove’s shoulder rehab kept him from pitching until he started a minor league rehab assignment on May 23, and he pitched in one MLB game (three innings of relief work on June 27) before being quickly sent back to Triple-A after that cup of coffee.  He’s been back and forth a couple of times, with a 5.14 ERA and three home runs allowed to show for seven innings over three appearances in a Tampa Bay uniform.

Grove’s numbers in Durham are much stronger, as he has a 3.55 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate, and 9.5% walk rate in 33 Triple-A innings this year.  The Rays seemingly didn’t have any plans for him besides spot duty, so this DFA could basically be an early non-tender if it leads to Grove entering free agency.

A waiver claim is certainly possible if another team has interest in adding the 29-year-old as pitching depth.  If Grove clears waivers, he has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, since he has been outrighted in the past.  Since Grove has less than five years of MLB service time, however, he’d have to forfeit the remainder of his guaranteed money from his Rays deal if he did elect free agency.  The Rays may be counting on Grove accepting an outright and staying in the organization, rather than giving up some money to pursue another deal at this late stage of the season.