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Percival Could Miss A Month

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By MARC LANCASTER The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 16, 2008

ARLINGTON, Texas - The news was about as good as could have been expected Friday regarding Troy Percival's right knee, but the closer still will miss at least the next two weeks, and possibly a month.

Percival went on the disabled list for the third time this season with what Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman described as "cartilage involvement" in his knee. Friedman emphasized that Percival did not tear anything - cartilage or ligament - and said the team is determining whether to treat it with surgery or attempt a non-surgical rehab.

"It sounds like it's a two- to four-week injury in either scenario," Friedman said.

Percival saw Rangers orthopedist Keith Meister on Friday and had an MRI. Meister was to discuss the options with his Rays counterpart, Koco Eaton, but Friedman said no decision on course of treatment is likely to come until Monday.

The Rays' options are to treat the injury with a cortisone shot, which wouldn't fix the problem but should allow Percival to pitch, and hope rehab will take care of it; or, Percival could have an arthroscopic procedure to clean up the area.

Either way, the Rays will have to make do without Percival for a while again. Manager Joe Maddon said he will not designate one reliever to handle the ninth inning, expressing his faith in Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler, J.P. Howell and Chad Bradford to get the job done.

"We'll finish games like we did before," Maddon said. "I have confidence that there's different people that can get the last out, and so we're not going to ordain one closer."
Balfour and Wheeler have tallied seven saves between them during Percival's previous DL stints and would seem the most likely choices for regular closing time.

HE'S BACK: Taking Percival's place on the roster was RHP Juan Salas, who would have been in the mix for an Opening Day bullpen slot if visa problems hadn't delayed his arrival for more than two months.

Salas was stranded in his native Dominican Republic until April 17, and the 29-year-old eventually was optioned to Durham, where he put together a nice season.

Salas was 4-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 28 appearances for the Bulls, striking out 53 while walking 11 in 442/3 innings.

Flight delays pushed Salas' arrival in Texas back to just before game time.

IN THE FOLD: The Rays signed LHP Kyle Lobstein, their second-round pick in this year's draft, several hours before Friday night's deadline. Lobstein received a $1.5 million signing bonus - nearly double MLB's recommended slot value for where he was drafted - to turn down a chance to attend the University of Arizona.

"I'm at a loss for words, but it's definitely exciting and a little overwhelming," Lobstein told the Tribune. "I'm happy it got done."

Because it has been so long since he pitched in a game, Lobstein will not make any appearances during what remains of the minor-league season.

The Rays ended up signing 26 of their first 28 draft picks.

READY TO ROLL: SS Jason Bartlett made his first start in the field since Aug. 3, but still was experiencing some pregame jitters about throwing with a bruised index finger on his right hand.

"I want to get that first throw out of the way," he said. "That's the only thing on my mind right now, is making that throw from short to first."

Bartlett didn't get a chance until the seventh inning, when he charged a Brandon Boggs chopper and threw him out to end the frame.

Marc Lancaster

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