The Tampa Bay Rays placed right-hander Zack Littell on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right shoulder fatigue.
The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Rays recalled left-hander Tyler Alexander from Triple-A Durham.
Littell, 28, is in his first season as a full-time starter in the major leagues. He is 5-8 with a 3.89 ERA across 129⅔ innings this season, with 26 walks, 116 strikeouts and an American League-high 144 hits allowed through Friday.
The Rays, considering the workload, pulled Littell from his last start after 68 pitches on Wednesday against the visiting Houston Astros. Littell allowed one hit (a home run), one run and two walks while fanning three in five innings. He did not figure into the decision in the Astros' 2-1, 10-inning victory.
"I mean, we all know where he is at [in terms of] an innings standpoint this year," manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday night.
Littell has a career 21-19 record with three saves and a 4.02 ERA in 389⅓ innings over 197 games (42 starts) in parts of seven seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2018-20), San Francisco Giants (2021-22), Boston Red Sox (2023) and Rays (2023-present).
Alexander, 30, is 5-3 with a 5.20 ERA, 16 walks and 63 strikeouts in 71 innings over 15 games (six starts) for Tampa Bay this season. He pitched the previous five seasons for the Detroit Tigers, going 11-23 with a 4.38 ERA, 74 walks and 273 strikeouts in 341⅓ innings over 120 games (43 starts).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.