PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- There weren’t many highlights for the Rays in a 12-3 loss to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park, but Xavier Isaac provided one of the best moments of Spring Training in the eighth inning.
Coming back from “life-saving” surgery to remove a brain tumor last July, a health scare that put baseball and everything else into perspective, Isaac pulled a hard-hit single to right field in his first game action in more than eight months.
Manager Kevin Cash said before the game that the Rays would offer “no judgment whatsoever” regarding Isaac’s results at the plate. But seeing the power-hitting prospect look like himself in the batter’s box was a tremendous development for everyone in the organization.
“It was awesome. The dugout was pumped up. Everybody shook his hand, high-fived him,” Cash said. “No, [his results] don't matter. But any time you get some positive reinforcement or a reward for the work that he's been putting in on the back field -- hopefully he values that as a pretty special moment. I know we all did.”
The Rays planned to ease Isaac back into action, giving him plenty of at-bats in Minor League camp to feel comfortable. Isaac said he got more work in those back-field games than he had at any other point, which got his swing feeling right. So he walked into the trainer’s room on Wednesday and told head athletic trainer Joe Benge, “Tell Cash I’m ready to play.”
The predominant feeling for Isaac on Saturday was simply relief.
He hadn’t played in a game since June 25, when he was with Double-A Montgomery. What he thought was dehydration led to a brain scan on July 3 and surgery a week later. At that point, his thoughts were far from the field.
But coming into Saturday’s game in the fifth inning, taking the field at first base and getting that clean single to right made it feel like a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“Just being back on the field, just being at first, honestly, was the best. I haven’t been on defense in two years, so that was a good moment,” Isaac said. “And I got the hit. A lot of relief.”
COMPLETE RAYS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Dad strength
Taylor Walls had an eventful start to Spring Training.
The shortstop was scratched from his spring debut last Sunday due to left oblique tightness, although it was considered to be extremely precautionary. He was preparing to go through a full workout on Tuesday, but he got a call late Monday night that his wife, Hallie, was going into labor.
Walls packed up his truck around 1:30 a.m., hurried north, picked up Hallie and headed to the hospital. Their third child, a boy named Charlie Lev, was born Tuesday at 11:11 a.m. After a few days at home, Walls returned to Charlotte Sports Park on Saturday, reported that everyone is doing well and got back on the field.
“I guess you can say that was kinda perfect timing, right?” Walls said. “We have the hard things out of the way. Now, it’s baseball time.”
Walls started Saturday’s game at shortstop and homered off lefty Konnor Pilkington in the fourth inning.
“Good to have Wallsy back in there,” Cash said. “He's worked hard this offseason with our hitting group and want to just continue to see that translate.”
Game notes
• First base coach Corey Dickerson is OK after being struck in the left hip/rear area by a Cedric Mullins line drive while standing in the coaches’ box in the third inning.
• Starter Nick Martinez gave up three runs on six hits with one strikeout over three innings in his Spring Training debut. He filled up the zone, throwing 31 of his 42 pitches for strikes, but wasn’t pleased with his two-strike execution.
“I don't think it was a good first impression, really,” Martinez said. “I felt great. I was throwing a lot of strikes, so there are some positives to take away from that. Pitch movement was also great."
• First baseman Jonathan Aranda and reliever Griffin Jax played their final games before leaving to take part in the World Baseball Classic. Aranda started at first base and went 0-for-2, while Jax gave up a hit and picked up a strikeout in a scoreless seventh inning.
• Relievers Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly made their spring debuts on Saturday, with each pitching a scoreless inning. Right-hander Hunter Bigge is expected to make his first game appearance of the spring on Sunday after starter Drew Rasmussen.
• Infield prospect Brayden Taylor, who broke his left thumb during bunting practice last week, made a quick return to game action. He finished Saturday’s game at third base and went 1-for-2 with a double.