Manager Lou Piniella pledged to improve the Devil Rays' struggling starting pitching.
Tuesday, he started making changes.
Right-handers John Webb and Doug Waechter are being added to the rotation, with Webb starting tonight against Texas; Mark Hendrickson is going on the disabled list; and another move will be made this weekend.
"We're going to straighten this out, both hitting and pitching," Piniella said. "We're going to get better. It's a rough patch we're in, and the quality of the teams we're playing isn't helping, but we'll get this straightened out."
Webb is 1-0 with nine scoreless innings at Triple A. Webb, 25, pitched in four games for the Rays last season, going 0-0 with a 7.00 ERA, but was taken off the 40-man roster in January and outrighted to Durham.
With Hendrickson unavailable, the Rays considered using Waechter or Casey Fossum on less than full rest but decided on Webb. "He pitched here last year and threw reasonably well," Piniella said.
Waechter, who was called up last week and pitched three solid relief innings Sunday, will start Saturday against Boston. Hideo Nomo is scheduled to pitch Sunday.
Hendrickson said his sore shoulder felt "significantly" better after he played catch Tuesday, but the Rays chose a cautious approach by putting him on the disabled list. The move is retroactive to Thursday, meaning Hendrickson will be eligible to pitch April 29 in Baltimore.
Hendrickson had concerns there was a problem in his rotator cuff and was relieved to feel better Tuesday, though he didn't know when he would be game ready. He wasn't sure it was necessary to go on the disabled list but understood the team's thinking. "It's a tough decision with the way our pitching staff is obviously a little depleted," he said.
Said pitching coach Chuck Hernandez : "We're taking the cautious side. It's not worth gambling on."
In the four games before Tuesday, Rays starters pitched a total of 12 innings, allowing 26 hits and 27 runs for a 20.25 ERA.
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With no right-handed hitting outfielders on the roster, Piniella is considering trying utility infielder Nick Green out there. ... The Rangers are the only team the Rays have never had a season of .500 or better against. ... To make room for Webb on the 40-man roster, the Rays will move Rocco Baldelli from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list. ... Nomo pitched on three days' rest for the first time in 302 career starts, the longest a pitcher had avoided short rest in history.
Tuesday, he started making changes.
Right-handers John Webb and Doug Waechter are being added to the rotation, with Webb starting tonight against Texas; Mark Hendrickson is going on the disabled list; and another move will be made this weekend.
"We're going to straighten this out, both hitting and pitching," Piniella said. "We're going to get better. It's a rough patch we're in, and the quality of the teams we're playing isn't helping, but we'll get this straightened out."
Webb is 1-0 with nine scoreless innings at Triple A. Webb, 25, pitched in four games for the Rays last season, going 0-0 with a 7.00 ERA, but was taken off the 40-man roster in January and outrighted to Durham.
With Hendrickson unavailable, the Rays considered using Waechter or Casey Fossum on less than full rest but decided on Webb. "He pitched here last year and threw reasonably well," Piniella said.
Waechter, who was called up last week and pitched three solid relief innings Sunday, will start Saturday against Boston. Hideo Nomo is scheduled to pitch Sunday.
Hendrickson said his sore shoulder felt "significantly" better after he played catch Tuesday, but the Rays chose a cautious approach by putting him on the disabled list. The move is retroactive to Thursday, meaning Hendrickson will be eligible to pitch April 29 in Baltimore.
Hendrickson had concerns there was a problem in his rotator cuff and was relieved to feel better Tuesday, though he didn't know when he would be game ready. He wasn't sure it was necessary to go on the disabled list but understood the team's thinking. "It's a tough decision with the way our pitching staff is obviously a little depleted," he said.
Said pitching coach Chuck Hernandez : "We're taking the cautious side. It's not worth gambling on."
In the four games before Tuesday, Rays starters pitched a total of 12 innings, allowing 26 hits and 27 runs for a 20.25 ERA.
===
With no right-handed hitting outfielders on the roster, Piniella is considering trying utility infielder Nick Green out there. ... The Rangers are the only team the Rays have never had a season of .500 or better against. ... To make room for Webb on the 40-man roster, the Rays will move Rocco Baldelli from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list. ... Nomo pitched on three days' rest for the first time in 302 career starts, the longest a pitcher had avoided short rest in history.
