There was an update on some of the injured Rays over the weekend.
Tyler Glasnow
Tyler Glasnow has spent a couple of weeks on the shelf after suffering a grade two oblique strain early in camp, and he still is not ready to ramp things back up.
Just treatment. I actually talked to him two days ago. He’s in a better spot mentally. He was pretty frustrated. But we said to get in here, get his work done and get out.
You feel for him just because he’s worked so hard, and I mean, we all see it. The guy’s got, like, the perfect physique, and why does he keep getting injured? I think he questions himself, but he does all the research and tries to prevent it, but it sneaks up on him. But he’ll be OK.
— Kevin Cash
The right-hander was injured while throwing to hitters during a live batting practice session on February 27 and hasn’t thrown a ball in almost two weeks — which tracks with the 6-to-8 week timeline attached to his recovery process.
Due to the injury, there is a battle for the fifth starter spot in the rotation. The Rays have plenty of depth to choose from.
Over the weekend Josh Fleming, Yonny Chirinos and Luis Patiño each took the mound. Fleming and Patiño both pitched well, however, Chirinos got knocked around in his one inning against the Marlins.
Fleming worked into and out of a jam in the first inning in Saturday’s contest, but ultimately threw three scoreless frames while allowing three hits and fanning two.
I saw our bullpen getting ready, and that was the last thing I wanted, for them to take me out mid-inning. It felt good to get three innings in, to be able to work through a jam in the first.
— Josh Fleming
Rays skipper Kevin Cash was encouraged by the outing.
I was encouraged that he got through it. He let the defense play a little bit behind him, and after that first inning he thought he settled in and made some strides with the sinker and certainly the big sweeping breaking ball he’s been working on.
— Kevin Cash
Also on Saturday, Chirinos was knocked around for five runs on five hits and one walk in one inning against Miami. Cash offered pause on the heels of the rough outing.
His stuff looked fine. I think he just fell behind more than he would like.
— Kevin Cash
Cash previously called Chirinos “a bright spot of spring” for Tampa Bay, making mention of his velocity and the effectiveness of both his slider and splitter.
Despite the rough outing, Cash isn’t expected to rush to any judgments based on a single start. Instead, he and the team is gathering all of the available information before setting the rotation for the first week of the season.
Meanwhile, Patiño held the Mets to just a hit and a walk over 2.2 innings on Sunday, striking out three. In three Spring outings, the right-hander has yet to allow a run, surrendering just one hit and three walks across 5.1 innings.
He fell behind a couple guys. But I felt like he made some big pitches to get out of innings and have some clean innings.
— Kevin Cash
Yandy Díaz
After leaving Friday’s contest following a hit by pitch on his left hand/wrist, Yandy Díaz could return sooner than expected.
It’s all good. I talked to him (Friday) night. I called him and, as far as I know, he will be a part of the live (batting practice Sunday).
— Kevin Cash
Díaz underwent an X-Ray (which came back negative) following the hit by pitch.
Taylor Walls
Taylor Walls (right oblique strain) has been sidelined for all of Spring Training, although he has been taking batting practice on the field along with some ground balls.
He’s feeling very, very good…We’re getting to a point where we need to get him some reps.
— Kevin Cash
Walls is expected to make his Spring debut in one of the split-squad games on March 16, after which he will likely play every other day.
Calvin Faucher
Calvin Faucher has been dealing with an oblique injury throughout camp, yet he has been throwing live batting practice sessions for the past week and “looked outstanding,” according to Cash. He is slated to make his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the Twins.