Tampa Bay's healthy pitchers can count themselves on one hand

The Jax injury was the lead two days ago, and the broader tally was the lead yesterday. At this point the situation is just the situation: the Rays are 95-62, AL East champions, five games left to play, and they are doing it with eight pitchers on the injured list. McClanahan, Wells, Rodriguez, and Cleavinger on the 15-day; Pepiot, Heasley, Uceta, and now effectively Jax absorbed into a group that was already too thin.

What's left is workable, not comfortable. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez are the rotation anchors — Rasmussen in particular has been as good as anyone in this league this year. Ian Seymour has logged a heavy workload out of the bullpen all season. Bryan Baker handles closing duties. Beyond that the names get thinner fast, and the depth chart reflects it.

Five regular-season games don't mean much when you've clinched the one seed. The concern is what this looks like going into October, when the innings matter and the margin for improvisation shrinks. Tampa Bay has earned the rest. Whether the staff earns it back to health in time is the only question left worth asking.