Howell being overused?

LHP J.P. Howell's recent difficulties might be partly due to "overusage" the last two years, and the Rays may back him down over the last month of the season, Manager Joe Maddon said.

The slender 6-foot, 180-pound Howell leads the majors in relief innings pitched over the last two seasons (153). After converting 13 consecutive save chances, he has managed one save in his last four chances.

He had at least a small part in all three of the Rays' losses to Detroit over the weekend, including a walk to the only batter he faced Sunday before Brandon Inge hit a grand slam off Russ Springer.

"We'll keep an eye on how this thing continues to go with us as we get deeper into this month," Maddon said. "If it appears we have no chance at all, I would definitely scale him back, because this guy is a big part of our future."

Howell, who is 1-3 with an 8.74 ERA in his last 13 appearances, said he feels "out of tune" with his body and acknowledges some fatigue. But he doesn't want to scale back.

"I hate to hear that, honestly," he said. "But they're very smart, man. That's a nice compliment (that he is struggling because of fatigue), but you know what? The fatigue I have now, people have (pitched) with what I have. It's not impossible, and I should be doing better."

Probably ready

CF B.J. Upton was available for emergency duty Sunday but did not play. Maddon is hoping to start him in one of today's two games in New York against the Yankees but won't make s definite decision until this morning.

Upton rolled his ankle in the fifth inning Thursday against Boston and hasn't played since. He has been doing some light work on the field and hitting in the tunnel cage the last couple of days.

Maddon said "three, possibly four guys" will play both games today. Figure on at least 3B Evan Longoria, 1B Carlos Pena and 2B/OF Ben Zobrist.

'Rubber arm'

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said when he saw former Rays RHP Edwin Jackson a few years ago, he thought he could be a "dominant closer." Maddon believes that's still a possibility, despite Jackson's success as a starter last year for Tampa Bay (14-11) and this year for Detroit (12-6).

"You could see that in your mind's eye, unless he continues along this path of being a very good starter - which I think he will," Maddon said. "(But) he's got closer stuff. He's got a rubber arm, too."

Jackson pitched in a closing situation in Tampa Bay's regular-season finale at Detroit last year. He got the win in an 11-inning game, despite surrendering a two-run homer to Magglio Ordonez.

Odds and ends

In his brilliant debut Sunday, RHP Wade Davis became only the second pitcher since 1962 to strike out the first four batters he faced in his major-league debut. Neftali Feliz also did it for Texas this year. ... Leyland has been over to visit his "best friend," Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, who is hospitalized after undergoing back surgery last week for decompression of a nerve. "He's doing OK, but it was a tough one," Leyland said. "That was a four-hour surgery. It wasn't an appendectomy."

Tony Fabrizio