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Injury A Cloud On Rays' Horizon

Tribune photo by Kelvin Ma

Rays closer Troy Percival left Wednesday's game in the ninth inning with a hamstring injury.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 29, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Maybe it was going just a little too well - the winning, the ride to the top of baseball, the headlines. Something was bound to happen.

And it did in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field, yet another Rays victory, 5-3 against the Rangers, yet another series win before almost 11,000 people, testament to the spreading mania. Thing is, folks left talking about more than the win. What about the closer?

Mercy, it's Percy.

Yes, that was Rays closer Troy Percival grabbing his 38-year-old left hamstring in the ninth inning and briefly crumbling to the mound. Yes, that was Percival having to leave a save situation. You'd normally need a tractor to pull this crusty bear out of an assignment. But off he went, to the dugout, to an MRI, probably to the shelf.

For now it's "hamstring tightness." Maybe it's nothing. It sure didn't seem like nothing. We'll know more today, disabled list, no disabled list, rest or a lot of rest.

Wednesday, it felt like rain on a parade.

It Feels Like Trouble

"Don't know. We'll know tomorrow," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Percival's teammates spoke of the injuries this team already has overcome, and surely they did.

But anything that so much as tweaks this winning formula feels like trouble.

All those years of lousy baseball ... and now the Liberty Bell has a crack.

The Rays needed a good season from Percival, not only for what he could bring to games, but also for the volume it would add to his clubhouse voice.

He has been huge, with 14 saves, with leadership, with advice for younger Rays, with stern words when needed. I think he's been this team's MVP.

You know he'll fight to get out there.

But it feels like rain.

"It's a great win, but a tough way to win with Percy walking out like he did," said Rays starter Matt Garza, who got the win Wednesday. "It's a huge hit."

Yes, setup man Dan Wheeler should be OK as a short-term closer. And look for the Rays to bring up another bullpen arm as soon as possible. But the more this team has to lean on lesser arms in the pen, the more iffy this entire proposition becomes.

Starting pitching will help. Eight strong innings from Garza did the trick Wednesday. But there's something about not having Percival on the back end that's unsettling.

"He's a big part of what we've done, and we definitely need him to make this run and continue to do what we're doing," Wheeler said.

That they do.

Here comes a big test for this team.

Some Cause For Worry

Hey, the guy's not dead. And it's not his arm.

Still ...

"Everyone has gone into the training room to ask how he's doing," Rays first baseman Carlos Pena said. "He's doing pretty good, actually. He wanted to stay in there. He's pretty tough."

Percival popped back up after grabbing his aching hammy, but left after one practice toss. The hamstring had bothered him in Oakland, but he pitched through it. Heck, he got the win Sunday against the Orioles.

"He gets knocked to the canvas and gets right back up," Maddon said.

Still ...

"I knew he was hurting, because he did the same thing in Oakland and he stayed out there and he got the job done," Wheeler said. "That's Percy right there ... For him to take himself out of the game today, it made me worry a little bit."

This is one tough bear.

And one resilient team.

It still feels like rain.

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