The Tampa Bay Rays added two fresh arms to the bullpen before the game Tuesday, calling up right-handed pitchers Hunter Wood from Double-A Montgomery, and Chih-Wei Hu from Triple-A Durham.
To make room on the 25-man roster, Tampa Bay placed OF Peter Bourjos on the 10-day DL with tennis elbow. The team sent RHP Jose De Leon back to Durham following the game last night.
The #Rays have recalled RHP Hunter Wood from Double-A @BiscuitBaseball and RHP Chih-Wei Hu from Triple-A @DurhamBulls.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 30, 2017
OF Peter Bourjos has been placed on the 10-day DL with tennis elbow, retro to 5/29.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 30, 2017
Wood, 23, was summoned because it was his start day and he could be available to provide length if needed, similar to De Leon on Monday. While it’s an aggressive move on the part of the organization — much like the promotion of Jose Alvarado from Double-A previously — the Rays didn’t have a pitcher at Triple-A on the 40-man roster available to be called up. RHP Austin Pruitt seemed the most likely option, but he threw three innings on Sunday and was not ready. He, however, could be recalled Wednesday or the weekend.
Daniel Russell (DRaysBay) made mention of what Wood has to offer:
Hunter Wood has a slight frame but a big enough fastball with plenty of downward plane. The 2013 draft pick also has a decent cutter, which can work against either hand, but hadn’t developed a legitimate change as of the end of last season, which gave him a bullpen projection overall, even though he returned to Double-A as a starter this season.
Six home runs allowed in nine starts at Double-A have inflated Wood’s numbers, where his continued 24% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate seem to indicate he is the same pitcher he was last season. In his most recent outing on May 24, Wood went 7.2 IP, striking out ten and walking two with only two earned runs allowed.
In an earlier promotion with the big league squad in April, Hu made two appearances in which he walked one, struck out one, and allowing one unearned run to score against eight batters. Since being demoted back to Triple-A Durham, Hu — who previously was a starter — made six relief appearances and allowed just one earned run over 7-1/3 innings, while fanning 10.
This season Hu’s relied upon a whiffy 95 mph fastball, a hard 88 mph changeup with arm-side run, a biting 76 mph 12-6 curveball, an 87 mph slider, and what is called a “palmball” that, per Russell, acts like a changeup with two-seam movement.
The moves leave the Rays short a position player, although as Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) noted, Michael Martinez can play outfield if needed. OF Mallex Smith should be available once the Rays get their bullpen back in order.
Noteworthiness
— Speaking of getting their pitching back in order, RHP Matt Andriese left Wednesday night’s ball-game with what has been graded as a mild groin strain.
Matt Andriese exited tonight’s game with a mild groin strain.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 31, 2017
According to the Rays broadcast team of BA and DeWayne, the Rays hope can make his next start. If he cannot, Kevin Cash can alter the rotation with off-days on Thursday and Monday since they don’t need a five-man rotation until next Saturday (June 10).