The Rays have had a fairly uneventful camp so far. They lost no one to what appeared to be major injuries. Their projected rotation is on schedule, and most of their projected starting lineup has been locked in since the start of camp.
The bullpen is one of the more fluid parts of the roster. They announced their interim reliever a few weeks ago. stephen wilson He is scheduled to start the season on the injured list due to back problems. Meanwhile, the right wing Edwin Uceta This spring, he has not yet pitched due to shoulder inflammation.
Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times wrote, unsurprisingly, that Uceta is not expected to be ready by Opening Day. However, the 28-year-old is unlikely to be out for long. Uceta has been playing catch without issue. It’s unclear whether he will participate in exhibition games before camp ends. After that, you won’t need much time to prepare for regular season games.
Uceta’s season-opening injured list stint will open up another interim relief spot. Tampa Bay has three locks for high-leverage relief roles. Garrett Clevinger, griffin jacks and Brian Baker. No one is firmly tied to the opening day mix. the right wing call sulser and yoendris gomez The minor league option is gone. They must either stop camp or get a waiver.
Gomez was an offseason trade pickup along with Wilson in a deal that sent the outfielder away. Everson Pereira To the White Sox. The Rays wouldn’t have made that deal if they hadn’t expected Gómez to likely break camp. His claim for a roster spot is supported by his ability to pitch multiple innings.
Topkin wrote that the Rays plan to have several long relievers available to start the season. This will give them some protection from the start Shane McClanahan and Stephen Matz. McClanahan hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch since 2023 due to various injuries. Matz is building himself into the rotation again after pitching out of the bullpen for the Cardinals and Red Sox last year. He pitched only 76 2/3 innings. They will be part of the rotation but will be cautious about their workload early on.
Gomez appeared in 21 games a season ago, making nine starts and pitching a total of 62 2/3 innings. He threw five two-run innings in the first four games this spring. Gomez withdrew from the team to pitch for Venezuela during a World Baseball Classic billiards game. He pitched two scoreless innings against Nicaragua on Monday with three strikeouts.
Despite Venezuela qualifying for the quarterfinals, Gomez is back in Rays camp this week trying to secure a roster spot. Ian Seymour and joe boyle They could also cover multiple innings out of the bullpen or serve as rotation depth at Triple-A Durham.
left handed Joe Rock Last season, he served as a multi-inning depth arm. The 25-year-old has pitched 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his first three big league games. He had a more shaky performance in Triple-A, allowing a 5.21 ERA in 96 2/3 innings.
Rock is set to resume this season in Durham after opting out of MLB camp this afternoon. Adam Berry of MLB.com writes that the Rays are converting the former second-round pick to short relief, so he’ll be doing so in a different role. Rock worked exactly one frame in each of his five spring training appearances. He struck out nine and allowed only three hits and one run, but walked six of the 23 batters he faced.
