September is asking harder questions of Tampa Bay's pitching staff.

McClanahan, Cleavinger, and Rodriguez are all on the injured list with 21 games left and a magic number of six. That's a lot of arms to lose at once. McClanahan had been one of the rotation's steadiest pieces — 13 wins, a 3.16 ERA through 28 starts — and his absence is the one that stings most. Martinez and Rasmussen are still out there and still capable, but the depth behind them gets thin quickly. Steven Matz has been in and out of the rotation all year and has been uneven when called upon.

The bullpen situation compounds things. Cleavinger was part of the closer's committee behind Bryan Baker, and with Rodriguez also sidelined, the late-inning options narrow. Ian Seymour has logged a heavy workload across 47 appearances, and Griffin Jax has been reliable enough, but this is a staff being asked to cover more ground than it was built for right now.

The Rays still hold first place in the AL East and control their own fate. Six games to clinch is not a crisis. But the next ten days will tell you whether Martinez and Rasmussen can carry the rotation through without a third dependable arm, and whether the bullpen has enough left to protect leads in close games. That's the specific thing worth watching.