BRADENTON, Fla. -- With a couple of starters facing workload limitations and a bunch of jobs available in their Opening Day bullpen, the Rays are giving some pitchers a longer look in Spring Training.
That’s true in the literal sense, as club officials will need to determine the state of their rotation before filling out their relief corps. And it’s true in terms of what roles they will fill, as some pitchers will be built up like starters before potentially finding a home in the big league ‘pen.
One of the versatile arms the Rays will consider is right-hander Mason Englert, who started Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park. Englert spent last season in the bullpen, splitting time between the Majors and Triple-A Durham, but he will continue to get opportunities to increase his workload in camp, putting him in position to claim a long-relief job as a Major League reliever, a rotation spot in Triple-A or a spot in Durham’s ‘pen.
“I like the versatility to be able to do whatever all they need,” said Englert, who was a starter in the Rangers’ system before the Tigers selected him in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. “Also welcome the opportunity to start. I think they like the pitch mix and the [strike-throwing] ability, so run with whatever they give me.”
Englert showed those traits in his first two innings, then admittedly felt some fatigue when he came back out for the third, which he exited without recording an out after a 10-pitch walk to former Ray Brandon Lowe. But he will get another start on Saturday, with the idea of working into the fourth inning. He still has a starter’s arsenal, so his main focus is on increasing his endurance.
“We view him as somebody that's capable of doing that, whether it's in a spot-start situation or being able to provide us length, even in some leverage at times, given how well he performed last year,” pitching coach Kyle Snyder said.
At this point the three sure things in the bullpen seem to be Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker. Edwin Uceta (shoulder inflammation) would be in that mix, too, but Snyder acknowledged it’s “very fair” to say Uceta’s status for Opening Day is up in the air due to the time he’s missed.
That leaves a few spots available for a group of pitchers who can work up to two innings, including Hunter Bigge, Kevin Kelly, Cole Sulser, Joe Rock and non-roster invitee Cam Booser. But with Shane McClanahan, Steven Matz and Drew Rasmussen all facing some level of innings uncertainty, the Rays could carry two pitchers capable of handling three innings at a time.
The options in that category include Englert, Joe Boyle, Ian Seymour, Jesse Scholtens, Yoendrys Gómez and non-roster invitee Jake Woodford, who has impressed in his early outings.
“If we've got a couple of guys in our bullpen that are capable of giving us a third, occasionally a fourth up, I think there's a valuable utility there,” Snyder said. “Mason certainly fits in that bunch.”
Around the horn
• Outfielder Jake Mangum met with his former coaches and teammates on the field before Monday’s game and expressed his appreciation for the Rays, who gave him a chance to make his long-awaited Major League debut last season before trading him to the Pirates in December.
Mangum quickly became a fan favorite during his time with Tampa Bay, and he was a valuable contributor in the Rays’ injury-riddled outfield, batting .296 with 27 steals while playing all three outfield spots in 118 games.
“Last year was great. I got an opportunity to play in the big leagues, so for the rest of my life, I'll have a Tampa Bay Rays jersey hanging in the house,” Mangum said. “Everyone in the organization was awesome [and] helped me become a better baseball player and a better man, so I've got absolutely no complaints.”
• Second baseman Gavin Lux (general soreness) is working out at the Rays’ complex, but manager Kevin Cash said he is at least a week away from getting into Spring Training games. The club is not concerned about Lux’s availability for Opening Day.
• Chandler Simpson dropped a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning after another bunt attempt in his first at-bat, something the speedy outfielder has been working on this spring.
“He's going to look to move runners when those opportunities present, but it's amazing,” Cash said. “[When] he deadens the ball, it's really tough to defend.”
• Cash said right-hander Ty Johnson, the Rays’ No. 18 prospect, looked “really good,” praising the 24-year-old’s poise on the mound and a fastball that seems to play above its 94 mph velocity.