The Tampa Bay Rays designated right-hander Michael Grove for assignment Saturday, clearing a 40-man roster spot for prospect Brody Hopkins after selecting his contract, via the MLB transaction log.
The move ends a brief, stop-and-start chapter for the 29-year-old former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher in Tampa Bay.
Grove arrived with a championship pedigree and a long injury history. A second-round pick out of West Virginia in 2018, he reached the majors with the Dodgers in 2022 and earned a World Series ring in 2024.
His time in Los Angeles was uneven: a 5.48 ERA across 149 1/3 innings from 2022 through 2024.
A shoulder problem in the 2024 NLDS against San Diego cut his postseason short. Labrum surgery in March 2025 kept him out more than a year. The Dodgers outrighted him last November; he elected minor-league free agency and signed a split contract with the Rays in April.
Rehab delayed his season. Grove did not begin a minor-league assignment until May 23. He made his Rays debut June 27, throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts against Arizona and picking up a win in his first big-league appearance in 630 days. The stay was short.
He shuttled between Durham and Tampa Bay several times after that. In three major-league games with the Rays he posted a 5.14 ERA over seven innings, allowing three home runs.
At Triple-A, the numbers were better: a 3.55 ERA, 29.1 percent strikeout rate, and 9.5 percent walk rate in 33 innings.
The Rays used him as a depth piece, not a fixture. With September roster needs shifting toward younger arms and fresh options for the stretch run, Grove became expendable.
Designating him for assignment functions as an early non-tender. He can be claimed on waivers by a club looking for multi-inning relief or minor-league starting depth. If he clears, he can elect free agency again.
For Grove, the path has been familiar: talent, injury, rehab, and another reset. For the Rays, it is standard roster math. Hopkins gets the 40-man spot.
Grove, a year removed from surgery and still showing strikeout stuff in Durham, waits to see whether another organization wants the next look.
