MIAMI -- After a pair of rough starts, the Rays are moving veteran left-hander Steven Matz to the bullpen.
Manager Kevin Cash announced the news before Saturday’s game against the Marlins, adding that Matz would be available out of the bullpen at loanDepot park if needed. Right-hander Mason Englert is expected to assume a bulk-innings role, working as a starter or after an opener, to fill Matz’s spot in the rotation.
Matz understands the move and is on board with the Rays’ plan for him, hoping that he can help out of the bullpen and rediscover some of the fastball velocity that he lost over his past few starts.
“They're looking out for me. They're looking out for the team -- 'What's the best interest of everybody in the situation?' And I agree,” Matz said before Saturday’s game. “They've been communicative all along. We're here to win baseball games, and I'm here to contribute and be an asset.”
Matz spent about two weeks on the injured list last month due to left elbow inflammation, but he looked good and pitched four solid innings against the Orioles in his return to the rotation on May 20. But he gave up six runs in three innings in Baltimore on May 27 then allowed five runs while recording only five outs against the Tigers on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
More concerningly, Matz saw his average fastball velocity drop from 93.3 mph on the season to 92 mph against Detroit. With that in mind, the Rays ended his outing after 53 pitches and decided to move him to the bullpen.
“He's totally healthy. I think our thought is, 'Let's see if we can freshen him up a little bit,'” Cash said. “He's done this before. It's not by any stretch permanent. He will pitch out of the 'pen for the foreseeable future, and then we will reassess if we can get him freshened back up.”
Matz signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Rays in December with the goal of being part of Tampa Bay’s rotation after bouncing in and out of the bullpen the past few years. Matz was a highly effective reliever for the Cardinals and Red Sox last season, recording a 3.05 ERA over 76 2/3 innings, and his experience in that role should make this in-season transition easier.
Matz said he still wants to be a starter, and he hopes the opportunity will present itself again this season. He drew a comparison to his 2023 campaign with the Cardinals, when he moved from the rotation to the bullpen in late May then resumed starting in early July and went 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA in seven starts.
“I think that experience definitely helps,” Matz said. “I wish that I would just be rolling as a starter and dominating, like Nick [Martinez] has been. But this is what we’ve got. We've got to win games, and so that's what we're gonna do.”
The Rays won six of Matz’s first seven starts this season, and the lefty recorded a 3.86 ERA in those outings before going on the IL. The club was always going to be mindful of his workload, considering he hasn’t thrown more than 105 innings since 2021. Spending some time in the bullpen will reduce the number of innings he throws and lessen the burden on his arm.
“It's one thing if you're able to have results with it, but when you're not having results and stuff's trending down, it's not a great recipe,” Matz said.
Cash said Englert is “in line right now to provide a lengthier role” when what had been Matz’s turn in the rotation comes up Monday against the Red Sox. That means the Rays will use an opener in front of him when their bullpen availability allows it; otherwise, he’ll start.
Englert made the Rays’ Opening Day bullpen and made nine appearances before going on the injured list with right forearm tightness. He pitched 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen on May 8 then went down to Triple-A Durham, where he worked on getting stretched out as a starter.
Recalled Wednesday to provide length for an overworked bullpen, Englert pitched five innings on 82 pitches in the Rays’ 7-2 loss to the Tigers. Englert allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three as he set career highs for both innings and pitches.
“It’s been fun getting to start and build up and everything,” he said then. “There's been a little learning from just turning over lineups three times. It’s been cool to figure out what I need to show, not show, just kind of expanding on that.”