There is one thing that can ruin a gorgeous 75-degree and cloudless spring training afternoon for a manager. That is having to scratch his pitcher right before a scheduled start.
Just what Kevin Cash and the Rays needed was to have Taj Bradley feel tightness in a pec muscle as he was warming up in the bullpen prior to his start in Sarasota against the Orioles on Tuesday.
With Shane McClanahan out for the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery and Jeffrey Springs (TJ surgery) and Drew Rasmussen (non-TJ elbow procedure) sidelined until the season’s second half, and that is assuming everything goes well with their recoveries, injuries to starting pitchers are the last thing Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder need to deal with.
“I’m optimistic right now,” Cash told reporters after Bradley’s aborted afternoon. “I don’t know why. I just feel like we caught it in time where hopefully it’s not a big deal.”
That would certainly be the ideal situation especially with only two weeks remaining before the March 28 season opener at Tropicana Field against Toronto.
Bradley, who would have made his second Grapefruit League start, debuted with the club last season. He was summoned from Triple-A Durham in April after Springs was sidelined. The righthander was 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA through his first 10 starts before he was plagued by inconsistency that led to a stint back in Durham. Bradley was winless over his final 11 starts with Tampa Bay and finished 5-8, 5.59.
The hope, of course, is the pectoral tightness proves to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Bradley, who turns 23 on March 20, is expected to be part of a rotation that includes Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale and Zack Littell. Other options include Ryan Pepiot, who was acquired from the Dodgers in a mid-December deal for Tyler Glasnow, and Tyler Alexander, a November waiver claim from Detroit. Shane Baz, who missed the last two seasons with a series of elbow miseries that ultimately led to Tommy John surgery, will have his workload closely monitored.
Josh Lowe’s lingering hip injury
The news did not get any better for Rays fans Tuesday. Josh Lowe, who had an exceptional first full season in the majors last year, was sidelined February 29 with hip inflammation. The hope was that he would be ready to resume playing after two weeks, if not sooner. Two weeks have arrived and the right fielder will be out at least a little longer. In fact, Cash did not seem upbeat as the skipper was not ready to pencil the lefthanded hitter into the opening day lineup.
You can never be too careful when it comes to hip injuries. Just ask Taylor Walls. The Rays’ shortstop is likely to miss at least the first two or three weeks of the fast-approaching season after undergoing surgery on his right hip at the end of last season. Persistent discomfort led to the procedure.
Shortstop was a key area of concern in the offseason with Wander Franco’s status unknown and Walls’ injury. The Rays dealt Luke Raley, who broke out in 2023, to Seattle for Jose Caballero. They also signed Amed Roserio on the cheap: $1.5 million for one year.
Now, the Rays do not want another major blow to the lineup. Lowe is coming off a year in which he hit .292 with 20 homers, 83 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 35 attempts.