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Isringhausen Headed For DL

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By MARC LANCASTER

mlancaster@tampatrib.com

Published: April 2, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - No one seems quite sure how long it will last, but the Rays found a way to secure a nice bullpen insurance policy Wednesday.

The Rays purchased the contract of veteran reliever Jason Isringhausen from Durham and will put him on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. That compromise will keep Isringhausen in the organization as he continues to build strength following September elbow surgery and potentially give the Rays a significant boost if a bullpen opening pops up early in the season.

"We're obviously very excited about this development," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "We feel like there is a very good chance that at some point in 2009 Jason will help us win games."

Isringhausen will work out in St. Petersburg for now, likely returning to Port Charlotte periodically to get in some work against minor-league hitters. No timetable was placed on how quickly the Rays might call him up, but Isringhausen said it should be more like a couple of weeks than a couple of months from now.

He could have asked the Rays to release him since they don't have an immediate opening for him, and the team likely would have complied. But Isringhausen wanted to stay with the team he signed with the second week of spring training.

"This is the right situation for me," he told reporters. "I love the team, love the guys, the management, the GM, everything. So, kind of a no-brainer for me. I could have gone somewhere else and pitched, but that's not the same situation. I want to pitch, and I want to help these guys win as much as I can, because I think it's a special group of guys. Groups of guys like this, they don't come around very often. That's pretty much the bottom line. I'm not worried about the rest of it. The rest of it will take care of itself."

UP, THEN DOWN

Isringhausen's former Cardinals teammate, Adam Kennedy, will open the season with Triple-A Durham after accompanying the team to Philadelphia this weekend.

Kennedy reiterated his appreciation for the Rays giving him an opportunity to play so much during spring training and said he'd just wait and see what happens.

Other nonroster invitees who are still officially in camp but have been told they're headed to Durham are OFs Jon Weber and Ray Sadler, IF Ray Olmedo, C Michel Hernandez and 1B Chris Richard.

All but Richard will participate in the Phillies series. The Rays didn't think they would need him, as other players are available to back up at first.

LEFT BEHIND

As his teammates cleaned out their lockers and bagged their gear Wednesday, B.J. Upton could only watch with envy.

"I've known it all spring, but the day it actually happens it's a little bit different," he said. "I want nothing more than to break camp with these guys, but I can't do it right now. I'm not ready."

Upton will remain in Port Charlotte to continue his rehab work through the end of minor-league spring training Sunday, then play at least three games for the Charlotte Stone Crabs when they open their season next week.

NOTEWORTHY

Isringhausen, Upton, Chad Bradford and Fernando Perez officially will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to March 27. ... Wednesday's crowd of 6,054 gave the Rays a total attendance of 103,255 for 15 games at Charlotte Sports Park. ... James Shields threw 52 pitches in four innings Wednesday in his final tuneup before Opening Day.

Marc Lancaster

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