The Tampa Bay Rays activated left-hander Colin Poche from the 15-day injured list Saturday following his recovery from mid-back tightness.
In a corresponding move, the team placed left-hander Richard Lovelady on the 15-day IL because of a left forearm flexor strain.
Poche, 30, last pitched April 23 and is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, three walks and six strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings over 10 relief appearances. He went on the IL on April 26, retroactive to April 24, and later joined Triple-A Durham for a rehab stint.
After outings on Tuesday and Thursday, Poche was scheduled for another appearance this weekend, manager Kevin Cash said, before returning to Tampa Bay to replace Lovelady.
Poche is 21-11 with 12 saves, a 3.74 ERA, 68 walks and 203 strikeouts in 180 1/3 innings over 192 relief appearances for Tampa Bay (2019, 2022-24).
Lovelady, 28, last pitched Friday, a nine-pitch, one strikeout, scoreless inning in host Tampa Bay’s 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Rays acquired Lovelady from the Chicago Cubs on May 18 for minor league left-hander Jeff Belge. Lovelady is 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA, one walk and six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings over eight relief appearances for the Rays this season. He was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over seven appearances for the Cubs.
In parts of five seasons for the Kansas City Royals (2019-21), Oakland Athletics (2023), Cubs and Rays, Lovelady is 4-10 with one save, a 5.65 ERA, 28 walks and 76 strikeouts in 78 innings over 88 relief appearances.