Call the calvary, reinforcements are on the way. Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Matt Duffy is slated to begin an injury rehab assignment on Tuesday with the Class-A Charlotte Stone Crabs — the final link to his return to the big leagues.
Duffy, who has yet to play this season — Spring Training or otherwise — is rehabbing from September surgery on his left heel/Achilles tendon. He has dealt with heel problems on and off for several years, and he told local reporters that he’s eager to play pain free baseball.
Yes. Definitely. Definitely. It would be good to be on the field in a game. That’s for sure.
There is a caveat, Duffy hasn’t built up the same number of reps as his teammates. Rays manager Kevin Cash allowed, however, that he has been doing a lot of work at the Trop, and that could supplant what amounts to a lost Spring Training:
We’re excited to get him out there, play four, five innings, two at-bats, kind of run the spring training process with him a little bit. I know he’s been working really hard here. You could probably make the argument that he’s done enough stuff here as far as getting his body in shape, but there is something to be said for getting on the field, standing out there for four, five, six innings, whatever it is, and we’ll do the gradual build up.
Duffy believes the rehab will take approximately two weeks.
I think that’s kind of the tentative plan. As with anything, it always depends on how I’m feeling day to day. So add or subtract several days if need be. I’m really happy about the way (his recent workouts, including Monday’s, have gone).
The Rays skipper noted that schedule has yet to be finalized, although it’s possible that Duffy could spend his entire rehab with Charlotte.
I don’t have an exact schedule. Look, we’re excited for him to go out there and play four or five innings, get a few at-bats. Kind of run the Spring Training process with him a little bit.
…Right now, Port Charlotte looks like a fairly favorable schedule. I know they play some games in Clearwater, and then they go to Port Charlotte.
Tampa Bay acquired Duffy in a four-player trade with San Francisco, that sent Matt Moore to the Giants last season. Duffy took over as the starting shortstop and did not make an error in 18 games (55 chances in 153 innings) at the position. He also accrued an 8.8 FRAA and hit .276 with a home run and seven RBI before undergoing the knife in Charlotte, N.C.
The Rays will have to answer a tough question when Duffy returns from the DL, whose spot on the active roster will he fill?
Despite becoming the everyday shortstop, Tim Beckham is expected to lose the job to Duffy. Tampa Bay will have to decide between Beckham, who is out of options, or Daniel Robertson, who has been fantastic in the utility role, which is the better option to serve as bench depth.
Adam Sanford (DRaysBay) also opined that there is the outside possibility the Rays could let go of Peter Bourjos in order to keep both infielders on the roster.