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Rays Are Closing In On Full Strength
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Published: May 7, 2008
TORONTO - Reinforcements apparently are on the way for Tampa Bay, and they might all arrive around the same time.
Manager Joe Maddon ran down the list of rehabbing Rays before Tuesday's game and it seemed there was progress on nearly every front, to the point that the roster could look a bit different at this time next week.
"Pretty much back to what we thought it was going to look like originally," he said.
The Rays hope that by then, DH Cliff Floyd and IF/OF Ben Zobrist will be ready to play - Zobrist for the first time this season - and RHPs Al Reyes and Gary Glover will be back in their bullpen.
Maddon said Zobrist, who still has pins in the fractured left thumb he suffered March 9, might play for Vero Beach the next four days at Lakeland. If he comes through that without any problems, he would take Sunday off, get the pins removed Monday and potentially be activated Tuesday.
Floyd is on a similar timetable in his return from knee surgery. He was the DH in an extended spring training game Tuesday for the second consecutive day, and will continue to get at-bats either in extended spring or with Vero Beach in Lakeland the rest of the week. Maddon left open the possibility that Floyd might be activated this weekend, but it sounds like the Yankees series that begins Monday at Tropicana Field is a better bet.
Glover (shoulder tendinitis) is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday and Maddon said he could be back immediately. An examination in St. Petersburg showed no significant damage and he will play catch today.
Reyes (biceps tendinitis) played catch at 130 feet Tuesday and threw some breaking balls off flat ground. He'll play long-toss again today and return to the mound by Friday, Maddon said.
TUNE-UP TIME: LHP Scott Kazmir's regular between-starts bullpen session today will carry a bit more weight than usual as he tries to work through some of the mechanical problems that bothered him during his season debut Sunday.
He studied video of that start Tuesday and planned to work on keeping the lower half of his body from flying open at the end of his delivery, which affected his velocity and command in a loss to the Red Sox.
Why wasn't the problem present during the four rehab starts Kazmir made before rejoining the Rays?
"It's different when you've got the adrenaline going," he said. "My arm felt so good Sunday, so I was thinking I could just throw it right through them. The next thing you know, it feels like I'm just turning off of stuff, I wasn't driving to the plate. I was just using all arm, nothing but arm."
STANDING PAT? With Floyd likely back soon to be the DH, meaning more time in right field for Eric Hinske, the Rays aren't expected to be active in pursuing any of the outfielders who were cut over the past couple days.
That list includes Jacque Jones (Tigers), Tampa Jesuit grad Jason Michaels (Indians) and University of Florida product Brad Wilkerson (Mariners).
Though the Rays haven't received much return on their April 22 trade for Gabe Gross, who is hitting .167 with Tampa Bay, they have been pleased with his defense and believe his bat will come around.
NOTEWORTHY: Montgomery LHP James Houser was suspended three games by the Southern League after being ejected from Friday's game for hitting Huntsville's Matt LaPorta with a pitch, but the ban won't cause him to miss a start. ... If RHP Evan Meek clears waivers today, the Pirates will have 72 hours to work out a trade with the Rays that will allow them to keep the Rule 5 draft pick and send him to the minors. Pittsburgh designated the former Rays farmhand for assignment Sunday. ... The Rays and the NAACP have created a scholarship program honoring baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin. The Monte Irvin Scholarship will be awarded to one male and one female minority high school student residing in St. Petersburg. More information can be found at www.raysbaseball.com/monteirvin.
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