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Percival Takes A Big Step Forward

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By TONY FABRIZIO afabrizio@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - RHP Troy Percival wrote a check Thursday, and his body cashed it.

The willing but not always able 39-year-old veteran took a step toward reclaiming his closer job, pitching a 1-2-3 inning against the Phillies in his first competitive outing since December back surgery.

Allotted 17 pitches, Percival needed only nine to retire 2008 home run and RBI champion Ryan Howard, Geoff Jenkins and Greg Dobbs on ground balls in the fifth inning. C Dioner Navarro threw out the first two batters, and Percival recorded the third out on a toss from 1B Carlos Pena.

"At first you're thinking it might not be a blessing ... to look up there and see Howard, Geoff and Dobbs, but it ended up being good, because they were real aggressive," Percival said. "I knew if I threw my pitches I could work my way through the inning."

Percival converted 28 of 32 save chances (87.5 percent) last year but spent three stints on the disabled list and was not healthy enough to make the postseason roster. The Rays were 34-1 in games he entered in a save situation, so his progress is being closely watched.

Though forcing himself to "throttle back" Thursday, Percival threw five fastballs and four off-speed pitches. He said he felt fine afterward.

AYBAR REJOINS CLUB With his Dominican Republic team ousted unexpectedly early in the World Baseball Classic, INF Willy Aybar made a low-key return to the Rays' clubhouse Thursday.

He said his teammates didn't rib him about the Dominican's two losses to the Netherlands, the latest coming Tuesday night after Aybar committed a key error in the 11th inning.

"They said they missed me and they're glad I'm back, but I did not want to be back so soon," Aybar said through an interpreter.

Manager Joe Maddon said he wasn't expecting Aybar on Thursday but was glad to see him and will get him involved in Grapefruit League play "as soon as possible" at second, third and first base.

"Willy has also been playing all winter," Maddon said. "He's in great shape, he's been getting his at-bats, and there's still plenty of time here."

SHIELDS BREEZES: RHP James Shields was sharp in his second spring outing, allowing one hit through four shutout innings while striking out three and walking one.

He needed only 38 of his allotted 50 pitches to get through 12 batters, and he completed his session in the bullpen.

"I'm just basically working on my direction toward the plate, making sure my mechanics are sound," Shields said. "Today, I had a good angle on my fastball, so I knew my direction was pretty good.

In other highlights of the Rays' 3-2 victory, Gabe Kapler hit a solo home run off LHP J.A. Happ, and Carl Crawford and Gabe Gross each had doubles. Joe Nelson picked up a save, but not before giving up a home run to Andy Tracy.

BALFOUR EXPERIMENTS: Pitching for the first time since taking a line drive off his right arm last Saturday, RHP Grant Balfour had difficulty throwing strikes in two-thirds of an inning. He allowed a single, walked three, threw a wild pitch and gave up a run.

Maddon said the hard-throwing Balfour was using the spring game to work on his breaking pitches, "something we've been trying to get him to do," and that he was narrowly missing with some of them.

Earlier, Balfour held up his arm to show that there was almost no redness or bruising remaining where he was struck.

"They did plenty of stuff to get it out of there," he said. "The trainers around here are good."

RINGS FOR ALL: The Rays showed off the replica AL championship rings they will give to fans attending the April 14 home game against the Yankees, and they were surprisingly substantial.

The eight-ounce rings are made of recessed and raised metal and have diamond dust on the face. They'll come in a velvet pouch.

Tony Fabrizio

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