Rays’ reliever JP Feyereisen sidelined with shoulder issue
ST. PETERSBURG — JP Feyereisen, one of the Rays’ top relievers, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement — or, as manager Kevin Cash put it, “shoulder weakness” — on Friday afternoon.
“We’re not overly concerned,” Cash said. “The biggest concern is the contributions that he was making to our bullpen, and he’s putting together a pretty special season.”
Feyereisen has yet to allow an earned run this season. He has struck out 25 and walked just five in 24 1/3 innings, holding opponents to an .086 batting average.
Right-hander Calvin Faucher was recalled from Triple-A Durham and pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing two hits in the 6-3 win over the White Sox.
Faucher, who found out about the call-up Thursday and arrived Friday afternoon, bounced back from his major-league debut on May 9, when he allowed five runs in one inning against the Angels.
“He’s got good stuff,” Cash said. We’ve asked a lot (of him), challenged him a lot. He’s kind of changed his arm slot a little bit for the fastball and the curveball to play.”
The Rays currently have 11 pitchers on the injured list, though Andrew Kittredge (low back tightness) appears to be closing in on a return. The right-hander threw an 18-pitch inning for Durham on Friday, allowing one hit and striking out one. Cash said he heard Kittredge felt great.
“We’re getting a little thin down there,” he said of the bullpen. “... So, it’ll be kind of all hands on deck. The guys that are coming up from the minor leagues, whether you know, it’s (Ralph) Garza (Jr.), who’s been here, (Shawn) Armstrong, and now Faucher, whatever positive contributions we can get would be a huge benefit to us.”
Feyereisen said he had been pitching through the discomfort the last “couple weeks,” and the feeling is similar to the “bug in the arm” that caused him to miss over a month (late July through almost all of August) last season.
Feyereisen said his shoulder hit a “breaking point” in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 3-1 win over the Rangers. The team is awaiting the results of an MRI.
“Best to get it checked out now,” Feyereisen said. “It’s early in the season, and, hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”
Never mind
After being taken out of the game in the ninth inning Thursday, Manuel Margot was a late add to the lineup despite Cash previously saying the outfielder might have Friday off. Cash said Margot, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, was “pretty adamant” he was feeling better.
Margot went 1-for-2 with a walk against the White Sox. He was pinch-run for in the seventh inning by Brett Phillips, who remained in rightfield for the rest of the game. Cash said he made the move to get Margot off his feet.
Miscellany
Saturday’s game is the Rays’ annual pride night celebration, with players and staff wearing special hats and uniform patches, and all fans getting a mini pride flag. … At 103.4 mph and 362 feet, Randy Arozarena’s first-inning home run was the softest and shortest of his six this season. ... Chris Mazza (low back spasms) gave up three runs on two hits with two walks in 1 2/3 innings for Durham on Friday.
Times staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report.
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