ST. PETERSBURG -- How will the Rays line up their rotation for the American League Division Series behind Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen?
Stay tuned.
Manager Kevin Cash said during the Rays’ workout on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field that their rotation for the ALDS is still to be determined, with a number of factors at play. One of them, of course, is their opponent. As they went through a standard pregame-type practice, they still didn’t know if they would host the Yankees or the Red Sox on Saturday night at the Trop.
“Very confident [saying] Ras will pitch Game 1,” Cash said, “and then we'll have more decisions as the week unfolds.”
It seems reasonable to assume that all five pitchers who finished the season in the rotation -- Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour -- will play a significant role in the postseason.
That doesn’t mean all five will start games, especially when the ALDS only requires a three-man rotation due to the number of off-days built into the schedule, but they should find their way on the mound in one role or another.
The Rays have plenty of options in deciding how to deploy their starters. Martinez, Jax and Seymour have recent experience in the bullpen. (So does Rasmussen, for that matter.) Seymour got a quick look in relief in the Rays’ regular-season finale in Philadelphia.
“I think it's pretty obvious to us that our five starters have contributed immensely to the success of our team this year, and we’ll find a way to get them all in there contributing,” Cash said. “Nothing has been decided, and nothing's been lined up other than Game 1. But speaking to them, just very generally, they're excited to do whatever is asked.”
Injury report
Rehabbing relievers Tyler Wells and Garrett Cleavinger, both on the injured list due to forearm tightness, pitched an inning apiece in Tuesday’s six-inning intrasquad scrimmage at the Trop and “looked really good” according to Cash, featuring velocities that indicate they are fully healthy.
Both felt good on Wednesday and are slated to pitch in Thursday’s scrimmage, which should give the Rays a better sense of their availability for the ALDS roster.
Outfielder Chandler Simpson, who was sidelined for the final two regular-season games after fouling a ball off the top of his right foot, ran on the field on Wednesday and is expected to play in Thursday’s scrimmage. If everything goes well, there should be no doubt about his readiness for the ALDS.
Waiting their turn
If the way Junior Caminero was dancing at the start of the workout was any indication, the Rays aren’t feeling tense about their upcoming series. Players agreed the mood is generally loose and one of anticipation, not anxiety, as they wait for their turn on the postseason stage.
“We have to play our style of baseball, but also throughout this week we just kind of have to be calm, we have to be relaxed, we have to be ourselves. So, we're just taking this time off to kind of gather ourselves as a group,” Caminero said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “We're paying attention to see who we might play on Saturday -- whether that's Boston, whether that's New York -- and just get ready for them and stay with the mindset that we've had all year and be focused for Saturday. That's when everything starts.”
Still, it’s unusual for a team to take a nearly week-long break after roughly 7 1/2 months of near-daily baseball dating back to Spring Training. Cash said he watched Tuesday’s Wild Card Series games as both a fan and fellow manager, but he was quick to answer what this week has felt like for him.
“Long. It’s long. It’s a long week,” Cash said. “A lot of time on my hands, but that'll change Saturday.”