PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The Rays got back to business Monday morning at Charlotte Sports Park.
After players officially reported to Spring Training on Sunday, the defending American League East champions held their first workout on the main field of their spring ballpark. It was a quick session including a full-squad introductory meeting, defensive drills, bullpen sessions, batting practice and conditioning work. But after MLB’s lockout delayed the start of camp, it was a welcome sign that baseball has returned
“To see everyone back out there and a full practice today was just awesome,” outfielder Brett Phillips said. “I'm just overfilled with joy right now to be back with the boys and doing what I love to do most, and that's play baseball.”
The Rays will ease players back into action, especially their pitchers, given the potential injury concerns associated with a quick buildup to the regular season. To that end, manager Kevin Cash said Tampa Bay won’t rush its pitchers through an abbreviated progression to have them ready for Friday’s Grapefruit League opener against Boston.
Instead, the Rays will only use pitchers called over from Minor League camp during their first three Spring Training games, Cash said. That will allow Tampa Bay’s big league arms to maintain a more traditional schedule in camp: bullpen sessions followed by live batting practice, followed by game appearances, with starters/multi-inning arms adding length each time out and relievers eventually preparing to work consecutive days.
“The goal is that they're basically going to get their exact buildup that they would have in a normal spring,” Cash said. “We all agreed we're not going to rush these guys. Let's take our nine days of time, and then we'll see where we're at and they'll start getting in games.”
The Rays had a handful of pitchers throw their bullpen sessions Monday in the indoor “Lab,” a bullpen mound outfitted with tracking technology that helps their staff quickly assess pitchers’ deliveries and their pitch characteristics. It will be necessary for their arms to make up for lost time with pitching coach Kyle Snyder, as they were not permitted to speak or share information during the lockout.
Overall, Cash said he was pleased with what he saw from the Rays during their first workout. While it was an offseason unlike any other, and while this figures to be a frenetic Spring Training, Cash noted that players clearly prepared like they normally would.
“Very encouraged with how everybody has come in,” Cash said. “Watching the ground-ball session, everybody looked like their athleticism was up to speed, kind of where they left off. Now it's just getting the reps in and kind of the wear and tear.”
Mr. Kittredge’s wild ride
Andrew Kittredge took the scenic route to Spring Training this year. The All-Star reliever hopped in his car with his mini goldendoodle, Crash, and drove from his home in Spokane, Wash., to his Spring Training home at Charlotte Sports Park.
The Google Maps-estimated drive time? About 42 hours.
Kittredge said he left Thursday afternoon and spent three nights on the road (in Bozeman, Mont., Omaha, Neb., and Atlanta) before arriving Sunday. Kittredge preferred the long drive to putting the family dog on a plane. He’s made the cross-country drive a few times before with his wife, Tobey, but this was his first time making it alone -- aside from Crash, of course.
“It's not too bad,” Kittredge said. “Had a couple good podcasts -- and a lot of phone calls.”
A welcome return
The Rays’ mandatory Spring Training report date was not the biggest news in Tampa Bay sports on Sunday. On Sunday night, Tom Brady announced he was coming out of his brief retirement for another year as the Tampa Bay Bucs’ quarterback.
That went over especially well with the Tampa Bay-area natives in the Rays’ clubhouse.
“Awesome. Wow,” Cash said, smiling. “I'm a Bucs fan, and how can you not be excited to have him back?”
Phillips, who won a Super Bowl LV bet with Kansas City’s Salvador Perez, was even more animated. Asked about his reaction, he leaned back and shouted, “Let’s gooooooooo! TB12 is back!” He also invited Brady to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Tropicana Field.
Non-roster catcher Joe Hudson, another Tampa native, probably reflected the emotional roller coaster recently ridden by many Bucs fans when he said, “I was a very happy guy yesterday. There's a good chance I wasn't going to watch the NFL next year, but that's not the case anymore.”