Rays recall Trevor Martin from Durham, DFA Aaron Brooks after rough debut

The Rays did not wait long to reset their bullpen map. After Aaron Brooks was shelled in his first appearance, Tampa Bay recalled Trevor Martin from Triple-A Durham and designated Brooks for assignment, a move that cut the 40-man roster to 39 and underscored how fragile the relief mix has become.

Brooks, 36, had signed a minor-league deal on April 25 and was selected from Durham on May 9 as a long-relief answer. He never got the job off the ground. In his lone outing, he recorded only one out while allowing three earned runs on two walks and a home run, an outing that forced the Rays to pivot immediately and left the club searching again for innings.

Martin is the next arm up because the Rays need someone who can absorb work now, not later. He made his major-league debut on April 21, 2026, when Mason Englert went on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness, and he handled the assignment with poise in a 6-1 loss to the Reds. Martin worked 2 1/3 innings, allowed one run on two hits and struck out two, giving Tampa Bay the kind of length Kevin Cash said the club needed after a busy weekend. Cash said then, “Happy for him,” and noted the Rays needed the pitches.

That first appearance also came with a personal twist that helped make Martin one of the more memorable early-season callups in the organization. His father, Michael, flew in from Oklahoma to see his son pitch in the majors for the first time, turning a bullpen necessity into a night that carried much more weight than a box score line. Now Martin is back in the picture because the Rays have run through bodies and patience in the relief corps.

The urgency is obvious. Tampa Bay has been juggling injuries to Englert, Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodriguez and Steven Wilson, a list that has stripped away multiple late-inning options and pushed the staff toward Durham for help. Brooks’ failure only sharpened that pressure test. Martin’s recall says the Rays believe Durham still has a usable arm to bridge innings, and in this bullpen climate, even one clean multi-inning night can matter like a small rescue.