Reliever-turned-starter Jax excited for first playoff starting assignment

CLEVELAND -- In the span of a year, Griffin Jax has gone from wondering if he would be a starting pitcher again to getting the nod to start for the Rays against the Guardians in a pivotal Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Jax, who became the latest Tampa Bay pitcher to successfully transition from the bullpen to the rotation this season, is slated to pitch opposite Cleveland ace Gavin Williams on Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field. It will be the sixth postseason appearance of the 31-year-old right-hander’s career, but his first start.

That fact was not lost on Jax as he reported to Progressive Field for a Wednesday afternoon workout.

“It's a big honor, one that I've been looking forward to for a really long time now that I'm in the rotation,” Jax said.

The Rays opted to use Jax out of the bullpen in Game 3 of the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium, having him pitch two innings behind starter Nick Martinez and swingman Ian Seymour. Now that they’re in a longer series, they seem to be shifting Jax back into a starting role, with Martinez likely in line to start Game 4 on Friday.

“What we like is what he's done as a starter for us all season long,” manager Kevin Cash said. “A lot of confidence with him. It's really good stuff. He gets it in the zone. Gets himself in rhythm. I think he’s done a tremendous job of transitioning into that starter routine and [will] just go do what he’s done.”

Cash said he expects Jax to be “full go” after his final regular-season start ended early when he was struck in the back by a line drive in Philadelphia. That was the only thing to slow down Jax lately, as he has posted a 0.90 ERA in his past five outings.

Over his last four regular-season starts and his relief outing against the Yankees, Jax has allowed only two runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out 19 in 20 innings. Ideally, he’ll do more of the same and maintain the momentum established by starters Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta.

“It means a lot that they trust me to go [in] Game 3, first game in Cleveland, up against one of their best guys,” Jax said. “It's going to be a good game. I'm really excited for the challenge and the opportunity.”

Seeing more Seymour
Left-hander Seymour hasn’t started a game yet this postseason, but he’s been arguably the most important pitcher in their playoff bullpen so far. He has faced 23 batters in four appearances between the two series, more than anyone on the staff besides Rasmussen (51) and Peralta (43).

Seymour has allowed four of the five runners he’s inherited to score, but he has permitted just one other run on four hits while striking out nine and walking nobody over 6 1/3 innings.

“For everything that we've talked about with [Rasmussen] and [Peralta] and how they've contributed to our pitching in the postseason, I think Seymour is right there with them,” Cash said. “He's pretty fearless in his approach and the way he goes out there.”

Around the horn
• The Rays have two Gold Glove Award finalists: shortstop Taylor Walls and left fielder Chandler Simpson. It’s an expected honor for Walls, the elite (but still underappreciated) defender who is hoping to win one after falling short in the past, and a testament to the incredibly hard work Simpson has put in with coach Corey Dickerson to go from a below-average outfielder to a worthy finalist.

“It means a lot, especially after the things I needed to work on from last year,” Simpson said. “Coming into this year, I knew that was a real focal point of my development as a player as a whole, and I’m glad I was able to make big strides at the end of this year.”

• After five seasons as the pitching coach for Triple-A Durham and more than a decade in the Rays organization, Brian Reith left the team to become the Twins’ pitching coach.

“Obviously thrilled,” Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder said. “It’s well deserved, maybe a little overdue just in terms of what he’s been able to do here, the players he’s been able to impact. He’s a complete pitching coach. … Just a tremendous opportunity and couldn’t be more excited for him.”

• The Rays reported to Progressive Field for a workout Wednesday afternoon, as scheduled, but had to do some of their work indoors. There was a tarp on the field all afternoon, a hint of the inclement weather that led MLB to push Game 3 up to 1 p.m. ET on Thursday and could affect Friday’s game.