The Tampa Bay Rays will begin their Spring Training games without their newly-signed reliever Ronald Belisario because of injury that resulted in a freak accident off the field. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported via Twitter that Belisario has a fractured left shoulder and cannot do any baseball activity for at least two weeks.
There is no word yet on the extent of Belisario's injury nor the time frame for his absence.
Belisario was swimming a few weeks ago and injured his shoulder as he tried to exit the pool.
The Rays signed Belisario to a Minor-League contract on January 31 and invited him to Spring Training. He hurt the non-throwing shoulder earlier in the month but tried to practice though the injury until early Saturday morning when, as Topkin also tweeted, he was wearing a sling.
For Belisario, this is his first significant injury in six years. He last hurt himself in 2009 when he strained his right elbow. He missed 33 days then. He had Tommy John surgery on that same elbow in 2005 while in the Minor Leagues.
In five Major League seasons from 2009-2014 (no MLB action in 2011), Belisario has a career record of 24-20 with 3.75 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 12 saves. He pitched four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent last season with the Chicago White Sox. Last year, he was 4-8 with a 5.56 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 62 appearances.
The Rays are in rebuilding mode, and they are hoping to get more of the Belisario they saw when he was a Dodger when he posted ERA's of 2.54 in 2012 and 3.97 in 2013.