Can a veteran rejuvenate the Tampa Bay rotation?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As spring training concluded, composition of a roster and set rotation among starters represented the priority among major league clubs.

Now two weeks into the season, patterns have developed and scenarios emerged. Against this consequence of uncertainty, the starting rotation of the Tampa Bay Rays took a hit.

First, Ryan Pepiot, who told reporters during spring training his season goal was about 33 starts and 200 innings, found those goals compromised. That’s because the veteran right-hander was placed on the Injured List with right hip inflammation on March 22. He continues to rehab and told reporters before a series opener April 10 against the New York Yankees that he plans to begin a rehab assignment within the next week or two.

Then, right-hander Drew Rasmussen missed a turn.

Instead of his usual journey to the mound and a scheduled start against the Chicago Cubs on April 7, Rasmussen was in the hospital and assisted his wife Stevie on the birth of their second child.

Given the early season uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of lefty Shane McClanahan, whether the early effort from Nick Martinez will continue, and the staying power of right-hander Joe Boyle, the rotation could use stability.

With the Rays, and other clubs, there are no certainties that any semblance of the rotation remains in tack and in order. There is even more reason for veteran lefthander Steven Matz, at 34 years-old, to step forward and pick up the torch.

Though he disagrees with a potential leadership role, Matz has quietly opened the season with wins and production. After going five quality innings and surrendering two runs, he managed to increase his season mark to 3-0 and help generate a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees before 20,511 on April 10 at Tropicana Field.

“It’s hard to view yourself in a certain way,’ he said after that win over the Yankees. “I just do my thing as I always have done, working on being a good teammate, and work hard. When I can insert myself and offer the experience that have, then I will. Otherwise, I’m just trying to one of the guys, be that good teammate and compete when I have to compete.”

What has made Matz effective is a change-up with location. While he will not break the radar gun and not generate smoke into the catcher’s glove, his acumen and experience play well into an early solidification of the Rays’ rotation.

“Really liked how (Matz) navigated through some tough weather in Minneapolis,” said manager Kevin Cash before the Rays opened that home series with the New York Yankees. “He gets in the zone very quickly. He knows, and (catcher Nick Fortes) knows what makes him good and the success they have had in their careers. When they are able to repeat that, that generally winds up as success.”

Yankees offensive woes continue … in dropping that series opener to the Rays April 10, the loss was the third straight for the Yankees and their fourth loss in the previous five games. Catalyst for the present demise is marginal production. After the opening series loss to the Rays, the Yankees, as a team, hit .201 through their opening 13 games. “Keep working, sticking with our process, how we prepare, how we prepare as a team, how we prepare individually,” said New York manager Aaron Boone before the Rays series. “Look, we’re going to hit. Right now, we have a few guys that have been scuffling for the past 10 days, two weeks. We’ll get it going.”

The Yankees drought is telling. After picking up two in the first, the Bombers were held hitless until Ben Rice drilled a pinch-hit homer over the center field fence with one out in the eight. That followed two hits against Tampa reliever Bryan Baker in the ninth. When pinch hitter Trent Grisham popped to first to end the game, those runners were stranded.

On the diamond … the motivation was clearly to energize a lethargic offense and the result, for the Rays, was gratifying. By placing speed demon Chandler Simpson at the top of his batting order and dropped traditional leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz into the four-hole, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash sought to strike lightning in slumbering bats. The effect was immediate.

Down 2-0 in the first, Jonathan Aranda walked with two out and Diaz, dropped from his traditional lead-off spot to the clean-up location, drilled an 0-1 slider from starter Luis Gil over the right field fence to tie the score The Rays when proceed to add single run in the second and a two-spot in the sixth to raise their season mark to 6-7 after 13 games. For Diaz, hitting in the four hole is not an issue. “It doesn’t matter where they put me,” he said through an interpreter. “I have one job. I know what job is and I’m comfortable wherever they want me.”

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