Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Dioner Navarro, Cliff Floyd and now Al Reyes. All were supposed to be key cogs for the Ray’s ascent from perennial cellar-dwellers to playoff contender. Now the team would just like them to get healthy. Al Reyes was the latest casualty to be placed on the 15-day DL, with a right shoulder impingement. Left-hander Kurt Birkins was activated from the 15-day DL to replace Reyes in the bullpen. Adding more strain to a bullpen, which suffered another late inning loss Wed. .at Minnesota, that had been proclaimed to be vastly improved from last season. With Dan Wheeler not pitching all that well lately and Reyes out for at least a few weeks it will be interesting to see how Joe Maddon handles a bullpen that is suddenly lacking in depth.
WORKING THEIR WAY BACK….
Scott Kazmir threw two innings, 25 pitches, in an extended spring training game Tuesday and said he felt fine. Kazmir will make a 4-inning start Friday for Vero Beach, if there’s no setbacks he is scheduled to start another game for Vero Beach on the 23rd and a final rehab start the 28th for Durham. If he’s deemed healthy and ready to go he would most likely make his season debut May 3rd at Boston.
After throwing 30 pitches in a pain-free bullpen session, that saw no setbacks, Matt Garza is scheduled to pitch in a rehab start Sunday for Vero Beach. If all goes well in his minor league start Garza should be set to rejoin the Rays when he’s eligible to come off the DL April 24th
Dioner Navarro caught 5 innings in an extended spring training game wed., but did not hit
In other news the Rays will host their second “Wrestling Night” Saturday night
ARE THEY READY FOR THE LONG HAUL? The positive energy oozing from Tropicana Field these days can only be described as unprecedented. The Rays’ are a franchise record five games over the .500 mark. They are alone in second place in the AL East (1.5 games behind Boston) , not to mention they have the third best record in all of the AL...
Rays Add New Pieces Tuesday might have felt a little surreal to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Gabe Gross. Shortly after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning in Tuesdays Brewers victory over the St. Louis Cardinals he learned he had been traded...
Rays Add Another Name To The List Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Dioner Navarro, Cliff Floyd and now Al Reyes. All were supposed to be key cogs for the Ray’s ascent from perennial cellar-dwellers to playoff contender. Now the team would just like them to get healthy...
Rays Making More Moves The team formerly known as the Devil Rays, who made waves by moving outfielder Delmon Young to the Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Matt Garza and new starting shortstop Jason Bartlett, dip into the free agency pool by signing reliever Troy...
Mission 2012 In less than one month the team formerly known as the Devil Rays has literally remade it’s self. They have changed their name they are known, for at least a few years anyways, as the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ve overhauled their color scheme, now blue and yellow...
