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Howell Feeling Better After Opportunity To Rest
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Published: August 23, 2008
Updated: 08/23/2008 12:24 am
CHICAGO - What was hurting for LHP J.P. Howell a week or so ago? What wasn't?
"It was everything," said Howell. "I'm serious - from head to toe."
Four-plus months of churning out tough innings on demand finally caught up to the wiry reliever sometime on the Rays' last road trip, and the decision finally was made to ease off on his workload for a little while.
"I was getting back spasms, leg cramps - one day it was one thing, the next day another," Howell said. "I could feel it a couple weeks ago, little things just popping up, and I kind of hit a wall and decided to just cut back. It's my first time in this territory."
Though he hadn't pitched since a week ago today at Texas, Howell entered Friday ranked third among AL relievers with 682/3 innings. As a lifelong starting pitcher, it wasn't the total that was keeping Howell down (he threw 179 innings last year) as much as the everyday nature of relief work.
Howell probably has the smallest frame of any Rays player, and he initially attacked his fatigue by hitting the weights more and doing less cardio work. He now realizes he should have gone the other way to help build up endurance.
But a week spent mostly away from the mound - he did warm up once during the Angels series - helped him feel more like his usual self.
"I'm just glad to be rested up, man," he said. "It was definitely a learning experience."
Unfortunately for Howell, there also was a bit of rust to be knocked off when he returned to action Friday night. He walked Jim Thome to open the eighth, then gave up a homer to Alexei Ramirez before recovering to get out of the inning by striking out Ken Griffey Jr. and Nick Swisher and getting Juan Uribe to pop out.
EXPANSION DRAFT: With the Sept. 1 roster expansion looming a little more than a week away, Manager Joe Maddon already has met with his coaches and executive vice president Andrew Friedman to discuss options for shoring up the major-league team.
Any player on the 40-man roster can be brought to the majors as of Sept. 1, and the Rays have traditionally used that opening to get a look at young players or shore up a worn-out bullpen. This time, though, the call-ups will be stepping into a pennant race, which will make the selection process a bit more intensive.
"I don't want a big clubhouse in September," Maddon said. "We just want to bring up people that we think we can utilize and make us better and help us. You don't want to bring guys up just to have them there to sit."
No names were revealed, but first on everyone's list undoubtedly is LHP David Price - even if the Rays aren't sure yet how they'll use their top prospect. Others on the 40-man roster with a decent shot to get the call are OF/DH Jonny Gomes and perhaps IF/OF Joel Guzman.
The Rays also might feel compelled to clear a 40-man spot and add someone like 1B/3B Dan Johnson, who has mashed 23 homers in 103 games and boasts a .413 on-base percentage, or bring back veteran C Mike DiFelice or RHP Scott Dohmann.
LESSON LEARNED: OF Justin Ruggiano paid a visit to Maddon's office before batting practice Friday, beating the manager to the punch on a meeting Maddon had planned to have.
Maddon listened to Ruggiano explain that he didn't want the ball he let drop in front of him in the ninth inning of Wednesday's loss to the Angels get by him for extra bases. He then told the young player not to do it again.
"I said, 'Listen, if you think you can catch that ball, I want you to go for it,' " Maddon said. "I don't want us to play back at any time. I don't want you ever to be concerned about making a mistake. I said, 'I'll always defend an aggressive mistake.'
"We had a good conversation; I think he understood the message. We're not going to play conservatively."
NOTEWORTHY: A checkup X-ray on 3B Evan Longoria's fractured right wrist that was scheduled for Friday has been pushed back to Monday. ... The Montgomery Advertiser reported LHP James Houser, RHP Ryan Reid, IF Rhyne Hughes, OF J.T. Hall and C Matt Spring will be among those representing the Rays in the Arizona Fall League. The Rays will add at least one more prospect to the AFL roster.
Marc Lancaster
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