The time for Blake Snell to struggle in the big leagues has come to an end.
The Rays announced after Saturday's loss to the Boston Red Sox that they had optioned the left-hander to Triple-A Durham.
Snell, 24, has gone 0-4 with a 4.71 earned run average in eight starts this year. He has thrown five innings or fewer in six of those starts. In his 27 career starts, he's 6-12 with the team going 9-18 when he takes the mound.
To take his spot on the active roster, reliever Ryne Stanek, a first-round pick of Tampa Bay in 2013, will be called up from Durham. Stanek has gone 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 14 relief appearances, striking out 25 and walking just six in 18 innings of work.