San Franciso Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray pitched five strong innings on Tuesday to pick up a win in the Giants' 6-4 victory over the Tigers. Ray has only been available for eight starts over the last two seasons but showed good potential in his seven starts last season, going 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 4.96 FIP but posting an impressive 12.6 K/9. The 2021 AL Cy Young winner has also looked sharp this spring, allowing just four earned runs in five starts for a 1.86 ERA. He racked up 23 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings, highlighted by an eight-strikeout performance against the Rangers. Ray has shown he can be good enough when healthy to be a mixed-league option coming into the season. He'll face the Reds on the road in a less-than-ideal matchup next week, but he's definitely someone to watch early in the season.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray is reportedly adding a changeup to his repertoire. The lefty is said to have borrowed the grip from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal after communicating with him this offseason and results so far have been promising. The 33-year-old pitched two innings in Tuesday's 7-5 Cactus League loss to the Athletics, allowing no runs on one hit and zero walks while striking out three, including getting some whiffs on the new changeup. Ray made his way back from Tommy John surgery in July of last season, making seven starts before missing the rest of the year due to a hamstring strain. Although the 4.70 ERA and the 11.6 percent walk rate weren't good, the veteran still demonstrated strong strikeout stuff, posting a 33.3 percent K% with 43 strikeouts in 30 2/3 IP. Fully healthy and armed with a new pitch, the former Cy Young winner has a chance to be a sneaky value pick with an NFBC ADP of 165, as RotoBaller ranks him at 150 overall.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (hamstring) was seen throwing a bullpen session at camp on Thursday. Ray recovered from Tommy John surgery last year and returned to make seven starts in his first year with the Giants, going 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 43 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30 2/3 frames. However, the 33-year-old veteran southpaw ended the year on the injured list after straining his hamstring on Aug. 27. By all accounts, he's fully healthy for spring training and is fully expected to be locked into a starting rotation spot for San Fran in 2025. Ray's 4.70 ERA upon his return last year was not impressive, but his stuff was. The former American League Cy Young winner is injury-prone and can get wild at times, but he proved last year that he still has plenty of swing-and-miss stuff. At a low cost on draft day, Ray is absolutely worth rostering as fantasy starting pitching depth.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray did not exercise his player option with the San Francisco Giants and will remain with the team. Ray has two years and $50 million remaining on his contract, keeping him a Giant through 2026. The lefty will look to bounce back in 2025 after two injury-riddled seasons have held back the former Cy Young winner. In his first year with the Giants Ray posted a 4.70 ERA in seven starts. His first start didn't come until after the All-Star break as he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Ray's last start was shortened due to a hamstring injury. The lefty is in a spot where he needs to get himself back to normal form before he can expect another big payday. Fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for the lefty going forward given his recent injury issues as he may be well beyond his prime at this point in his career.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (hamstring) had his live batting practice session on Sept. 11 cut short after 42 pitches due to fatigue, but he's been playing catch and threw another bullpen session on Saturday. Ray said he still hopes to make at least one start for the Giants before the end of the regular season. The 32-year-old southpaw suffered a left-hamstring strain while facing the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 25 and was placed on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 27. Ray also missed the entire first half of the season while recovery from Tommy John surgery. He has fanned 43 in his 30 2/3 innings of work over his seven starts this year with the Giants, but he's also allowed 16 earned runs on 20 hits (six home runs surrendered). If Ray does make it back to San Fran's rotation to make one more start in 2024, he'll likely be a poor streaming option with a likely short leash.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (hamstring) is set to throw another simulated game on Saturday afternoon, according to MLB.com. The southpaw logged his first simulated game (two innings) last week and will now look to stretch out further on Saturday by tossing three frames. Ray hit the 15-day IL with a hamstring strain on August 27. If the 32-year-old progresses well, he may only require one rehab assignment before returning to the big leagues. Before the injury, Ray held a 4.70 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP across 30 2/3 innings of work this summer, as his 2024 campaign began much later due to undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Ray could be worth stashing in deeper leagues as he should be able to log a handful of starts during the final weeks of the season and possess a high strikeout upside.

The San Francisco Giants placed pitcher Robbie Ray (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a left-hamstring strain. Ray is 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in seven starts with the Giants, striking out 43 and walking 15 over 30 2/3 innings. He had left his previous start against the Seattle Mariners on Monday with tightness in his hamstring. Fantasy managers will scramble to replace Ray's 12.6 K/9 while he is sidelined. The Giants called up Landen Roupp, who had a 4.70 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 15 appearances with the big club earlier in the season.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray was dominant in Tuesday's victory versus the Chicago White Sox. The veteran tossed a season-high 6 2/3 innings and allowed three hits, one run, no walks and struck out nine during the contest. It was his best start since returning from injury in late July. Since his return, Ray is 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA and 12.69 K/9 in his first six starts. Ray should continue to shake off the rust and Tuesday's outing was a sign of how good the left-hander can be at full strength, even against a poor White Sox lineup. If he is still available on the waiver wire, now would likely be the last chance to scoop up the veteran for the stretch run as he can help in a big way, especially in the strikeout department. Next up for Ray will be a matchup versus Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday as part of a two-start week that also features a tasty matchup versus the Miami Marlins.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray went six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Tigers, but did not factor into the decision. The outing was his first quality start since coming off the IL, although he's been effective in three of the four games he's pitched so far, posting a 3.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 22.6% K-BB%. The southpaw will face a reeling Braves team who has lost six straight in his next start on Thursday next week.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray pitched effectively against the Reds Sunday, picking up the win after allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in five innings. He did allow two solo homers but those were about the only blemishes on the day for the southpaw who was making his third start of the season. He now sports a 4.40 ERA and 1.12 WHIP this season and has recorded 21 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. It's an encouraging start for Ray as he continues to get his footing this season.

In his first major-league outing since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023, San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray held the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless across five innings. Ray settled in beautifully after allowing one earned run on a bases-loaded walk in what was a shaky first inning. The 32-year-old rebounded to blank the Dodgers over his next four innings, finishing the night with eight strikeouts on 86 pitches in his debut with the Giants. Ray's velocity topped out at 95.2 mph, and he finished with 22 swinging strikes. His performance against L.A. should erase any doubt as to his fantasy potential for the remainder of the season, and he should be rostered in all leagues.

Updating a previous report, San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) will come off the 60-day injured list to make his team debut on Wednesday on the road against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be Ray's first major-league start since having Tommy John surgery in March of 2023, which will obviously make him extremely risky from a fantasy perspective, especially against one of the best teams in baseball on the road. The 32-year-old former American League Cy Young winner looked good in his final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento last Friday and pitched into the sixth inning, though, and he should be picked up off the waiver wire in mixed fantasy leagues if he's still available for his strikeout upside. Ray had a league-high 248 K's in 2021 when he won the AL Cy Young and has had 200-plus punchouts in five of his 10 MLB seasons.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) allowed one hit over 5 1/3 scoreless innings in what will likely be his final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. Ray walked two, struck out seven and threw 78 pitches. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw is on track to make his Giants debut during the team's four-game series at Dodger Stadium this week. The 2021 American League Cy Young winner is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in the majors since March 31 of 2023, so fantasy managers should certainly temper their expectations. "He's probably not going to go out there and throw 120 pitches his first time out, but he got up a sixth time on Friday. One hit, some strikeouts and the velo was there. He threw all his pitches and felt good. That's what we're looking for," manager Bob Melvin said. Ray is worth rostering for his strikeout upside, although we'd recommend avoiding him in his 2024 debut against LA.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) tossed 5 1/3 shutout frames on Friday evening in what could be his final minor-league rehab appearance. He allowed just one hit and two free passes. He struck out seven. In his past two rehab starts, the southpaw has looked unhittable, as he has allowed just two hits over his past 10 1/3 frames, tallying 16 total punchouts. Ray has been sidelined since the beginning of last season due to Tommy John surgery but could rejoin the major-league roster any day now. The 32-year-old is worth adding in all leagues, as he is showcasing elite strikeout upside and should have a permanent role in the Giants rotation in the second half.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) will throw five innings on Friday in what is expected to be his final minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento. This is your cue to grab Ray off the waiver wire if he's available. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw has yet to make his debut with the Giants in 2024 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year, but if he's able to avoid setbacks on Friday night, he could make his debut for San Fran next week against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. That wouldn't be a great spot to deploy Ray in fantasy lineups in his first start in the big leagues this year, but Ray's strikeout upside makes him worth rostering in mixed leagues. He led the league in ERA (2.84), innings (193 1/3), strikeouts (248) and WHIP (1.04) in 2021 when he won the American League Cy Young for the Toronto Blue Jays and has five seasons of 200-plus K's in his career.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) looked fantastic in his ninth rehab start Sunday with Single-A San Jose. Ray pitched five scoreless innings, striking out nine hitters while working up to 74 pitches. The 32-year-old has looked good overall while recovering from his May 2023 Tommy John surgery, pitching with San Jose, Triple-A Sacramento, and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. Ray was a standout fantasy pitcher in 2021 and 2022 and could be poised to join the Giants sometime shortly after the All-Star break, so he should be on fantasy managers' radars in all leagues at this time.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) threw 59 pitches in his eighth minor-league rehab outing, allowing four runs on four hits (two homers) and a walk while striking out five hitters in three innings for Single-A San Jose on Tuesday. Ray will likely make his next start with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, which could set him up to return as early as the team's second series out of the All-Star break that begins on July 22 against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old former Cy Young Award winner can miss bats in bunches when healthy and now gets to operate from pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, so it makes sense for fantasy managers in competitive leagues to consider stashing him as someone who can bolster rosters down the stretch of the season.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) is progressing well from the elbow injury he suffered early in 2023. Ray made his seventh minor-league rehab appearance on July 4, allowing three runs on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts across three innings pitched. The left-hander is still likely a couple of rehab starts away from making his season debut since he hasn't pitched more than 3 2/3 innings in any outing. However, he could be a great stash candidate in deeper formats in Week 16. The last full season the southpaw pitched was back in 2022, where he finished with a 3.71 ERA and 212 strikeouts across 32 starts.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) will start for Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Ray pitched 3 2/3 innings on 48 pitches (33 strikes) in his most recent rehab start with Single-A San Jose on Friday, but he'll get back to toeing the rubber against Triple-A competition for what will be his third minor-league appearance outside of rookie ball this year during his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The 32-year-old strikeout machine is someone for fantasy managers to consider stashing ahead of the mid-July All-Star break, as he should be able to make his 2024 season debut with the Giants sometime in late July. In his last full season in 2022, Ray fanned 231 hitters and walked 62 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 32 starts.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) continued his rehab assignment in Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, throwing 45 pitches in 2 IP. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out a pair. Ray is in the process of a long rehab stint that is acting as his Spring Training. He will likely need a few more starts to build up his pitch count before he can return to the Giants, which will hopefully come at some point in July. Savvy fantasy managers should be looking to stash Ray, especially in leagues where IL spots are available.