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Upton Starts To Get Back Into The Swing

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 7, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - The Rays got encouraging news about one of their starters before Saturday's 15-7 Grapefruit League thrashing of the Red Sox.

CF B.J. Upton, recovering from shoulder surgery, took pregame batting practice with the team for the first time this year. He looked fluid, made solid contact and even jacked a couple of tosses out of the park.

"It was surprising," Upton said of his power. "I didn't think I had it. The strength is not all the way there yet, so it was nice to see a couple of balls jump out."

Manager Joe Maddon said he wanted to "turn up the intensity a little bit" for Upton by having him hit with the group rather than on the practice field alone.

Upton, who had a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder repaired Nov. 11, said the shoulder doesn't feel right yet but he's having no pain. His prognosis for making the Opening Day lineup hasn't changed, although he said he hopes to get into a Grapefruit League game "within the next couple of weeks."

The Rays open the regular season April 6 at Boston, and they could surely use Upton, who hit four home runs against the Red Sox in last year's ALCS.

"I'm definitely still optimistic," Upton said.

SHIELDS SOLID

RHP James Shields, already named the Rays' Opening Day starter, characterized his spring 22-pitch debut Saturday as, "OK, not too bad."

The 14-game winner and club leader in postseason ERA last year (2.88) pitched two innings and allowed two hits and one run while striking out Jed Lowrie and Brad Wilkerson. His wild pitch to Josh Bard in the second inning after Jeff Bailey doubled led to a run.

"The first inning felt good. The second inning, I kind of got a little lazy and a little ahead of myself, rushing a little," Shields said. "But that's what spring training is all about."

CLOSE CALL

RHP Grant Balfour had a scare in his first spring appearance, taking a line drive to the upper right forearm from Nick Green in the fourth inning. He appeared from the training room after wearing a sleeve over a bandage and said he didn't think the injury would cause much of a setback.

"Got the out. That's the main thing, right?" Balfour said about still being able to pick up the ball and make the throw to first.

The hard-throwing Aussie pitched one inning and gave up one hit while walking one. He said his fastball "was a little off" after he felt sharp in the bullpen.

LAST IMPRESSION?

RHP Wade Davis, who has allowed only one hit in two starts (52/3 innings) this spring, will "more than likely" make his final start of the spring today against the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Manager Joe Maddon said.

The Rays will soon begin paring down their 63-man roster, and Maddon indicated Davis will be one of those who eventually gets moved to minor-league camp, which opens for all players Tuesday.

"We're seeing what he's capable of doing, and it's not that far into the future in regard to him helping us," Maddon said.

OTHER GAME STUFF

The Rays took advantage of some sloppy Boston defense and pitching (six errors, seven walks, nine unearned runs) to score 15 runs on only seven hits.

OF Jon Weber came off the bench to drive in a Rays spring-record six runs, going 2-for-2 with a double and a home run. C Shawn Riggans had two hits and two runs, SS Jason Bartlett had two runs and a stolen base, and OF Ray Sadler hit a home run.

RPH Jason Hammel, competing for the No. 5 starter job, had his first tough outing of the spring. He surrendered four earned runs in three innings, including home runs by George Kottaras and Jonathan Van Every.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY

Author and part-time Sarasota resident Stephen King, a noted Red Sox fan, was part of the Charlotte Sports Park record crowd of 7,147. ... DH Pat Burrell is spending the weekend in San Francisco at his sister's wedding and will rejoin the Rays on Monday. ... Former Rays OF Rocco Baldelli, who already has faced his former team this spring, didn't make the trip Saturday because of tightness in his groin.

Tony Fabrizio

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