Two-way McKay goes back on DL

Brendan McKay's first full pro season as a two-way player is probably over.
The left-handed pitcher and first baseman was placed on the seven-day disabled list Thursday by Class A Advanced Charlotte. With the regular season ending Sunday, his season could be done, although the Stone Crabs are just a half-game behind the Miracle with four games left to play.
"The time that Brendan lost to the oblique injuries this year wasn't ideal, but what he showed us on the field really excited us," Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said. "His arsenal and ability to pitch are both so advanced, and at the plate, he has exceptional feel for the strike zone and power that he started to unlock as the season went on. Both his mature approach and his enthusiasm give us a lot of confidence that he can keep moving forward as a two-way player."

The second-ranked Rays prospect was out from June 19 to July 18 with a similar issue.
McKay dominated on the mound at times this season, going 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 19 appearances and 17 starts between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, Class A Midwest League and Florida State League. The University of Louisville product struck out 103 and walked just 14 in 78 1/3 innings. Batters are hitting just .196 against him.
"When you get out there, you just want to do everything you're capable of," McKay told MiLB.com in July. "Pound the zone and get strikes and obviously get outs for your team and put them in a spot where you can win."

The No. 29 overall prospect last pitched Sunday, when he allowed a run on seven hits in four innings against Clearwater.
At Louisville, the Darlington, Pennsylvania native amassed a batting average of .328 and an ERA of 2.23. After hitting a career-high .341 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs while posting a 2.56 ERA and striking out 146 over 17 starts in his junior season, McKay took home the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur player in the country.
The Rays made McKay the No. 4 overall selection in the First-Year Player Draft in June 2017.