The Rays may finally be getting another arm back in the mix.
Kevin Cash offered an encouraging update on Griffin Jax, saying the right-hander looked sharp during live batting practice and used his full arsenal. The plan now is for Jax to make a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
That’s a welcome sign for Tampa Bay, which has had its starting pitching depth stretched over the past few weeks. Shane McClanahan missed just over two weeks with mid-back soreness before returning to the mound against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 17 after one rehab start with Triple-A Durham.
Jax’s own injury scare came shortly after he was scratched from a start against the Seattle Mariners with elbow discomfort, just a few days after he was hurt against the Texas Rangers. Cash previously said Jax received an injection and would begin throwing again in a few days, and the latest checkpoint suggests he’s moving in the right direction.
His last outing for the Rays came Aug. 2 against the Chicago White Sox, when he took a hard-luck loss despite a strong line: five innings, one earned run, three runs total, eight strikeouts and no walks.
Jax has been much more effective in the rotation than in the bullpen this season. As a starter, he owns a 3.16 ERA over 82.2 innings with 90 strikeouts, and opponents have hit just .234/.288/.380 against him.
The relief numbers tell a different story. In nine innings out of the bullpen, Jax posted an 8.00 ERA, walked seven and struck out 10, while opposing hitters went .294/.405/.588 against him.
Cash now has some moving parts to sort through once Jax is ready. Ian Seymour and McClanahan are also throwing more than they have in recent years, which could open the door for piggyback arrangements to ease the load on the bullpen. Another option is a six-man rotation to keep the group fresh for the stretch run.
Either way, Tampa Bay is in a better spot than it was a few weeks ago.
In Other News...
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Freddy Peraltas first few outings with the Rays have not looked anything like the club envisioned when it brought him over from the Mets. Through three starts, he carries a 7.53 ERA, and the early reaction has been easy to understand given how rough the beginning was. Still, the context around those appearances matters, because the schedule dropped him into some of the toughest run-scoring environments in baseball right away.
Peraltas first two starts came in places that can make any pitcher look ordinary, and the damage in those games shaped the early numbers in a hurry. He has shown some signs of settling in since then, which leaves the Rays with a more nuanced read on what they have so far: not a clean breakout, but not necessarily a verdict either. [Read more 🡒]
Rays May Have Found A Faster Way To Use Brody Hopkins
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The appeal is obvious for a club that has never been shy about reimagining pitchers if the role fits better than the original plan. Hopkins has had command issues as a starter, but his recent relief work has hinted at a faster path to helping the Rays if the strike-throwing holds up, and his strong stuff metrics suggest this may be more than a one-off experiment. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Will Feel Strange Watching This Rays Reunion
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For Orioles fans, it is the kind of roster overlap that can feel a little off in real time, especially with Baltimore still trying to steady itself after a rough stretch. There is always a strange edge to seeing former homegrown pieces and recent contributors land back on the same side, and the Rays have enough of those names now that the connection is impossible to miss. The only real question is how much more of this crossover is coming next. [Read more 🡒]