Right-hander Cole Sulser is back in the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen. The 36-year-old reliever returned from the injured list on September 4, 2026, and his return was confirmed on Monday, September 7, 2026. For a Rays relief corps that leans heavily on depth late in the regular season, getting Sulser back into the mix is a meaningful roster addition.
What Sulser Brings Back to the Rays Bullpen
Sulser's 2025 numbers give you a clear picture of what Tampa Bay is getting: an 18-appearance campaign in which he posted a 1.99 ERA across 22.2 innings, striking out 22 batters while walking just seven. That 3.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.19 WHIP made him one of the more reliable arms the Rays had available. He finished 11 games in 2025, showing he can handle high-leverage situations when called upon.
His 2024 season was limited to just four appearances and 4.2 innings, so the 2025 workload — modest as it was — represented a significant bounce-back in availability. The question now is how quickly he shakes off the rust from his most recent IL stint and whether the Rays use him in a similar high-leverage finishing role.
What We Know
- Sulser's IL return was effective September 4, 2026.
- He is currently on the Rays active roster.
- In 2025, Sulser posted a 1.99 ERA and 22 strikeouts across 18 appearances and 22.2 innings.
- He did not allow any of his five inherited runners to score in 2025.
- No additional details about the nature of his injury are available from current data.
Sulser's track record with inherited runners — zero of five scored in 2025 — is exactly the kind of detail that matters in September bullpen management. His return gives Tampa Bay another option as the regular season winds toward its finish.
