Shields shut down

The Devil Rays decided James Shields has pitched enough and have shut down their most consistent starter for the rest of the season. Shields was scheduled to start Wednesday in Anaheim and against the Yankees next week.

"There's nothing wrong with him; we're just going truly based off innings pitched (215) and the number of pitches he's thrown this year,'' manager Joe Maddon said. "I just want to stop it right now. No other reason. He's fine. He's healthy. He could have pitched tomorrow; in a playoff situation we could have done that. ... It's just a gut feel on my part. I just think it's the right thing to do on my part.' '

LHP J.P. Howell will start Wednesday instead. Shields, 25, is 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA in 31 starts. He was not pleased that he won't get to make 32.

"I was pretty shocked,'' he said. "I'm not really too happy with the full decision, but it is what it is, and there's nothing I can really do about it. They told me the day before I started, which is kind of weird to me.''

Also, LF Carl Crawford remains sidelined and uncomfortable as a result of his left groin strain, and it seems less likely he will play again this season. The Rays are expected to call up another outfielder in time for Wedensday's game; Jason Pride and Justin Ruggiano seem the most likely candidates.

As for Tuesday's lineup, impressive Jorge Velandia gets another start at shortstop:

Iwamura, 3b
Norton, dh
Pena, 1b
Upton, cf
Young, rf
Harris, 2b
Gomes, lf
Navarro, c
Velandia, ss

Comments

[wiggy]

All this a s s h o l e knows is pitch counts. The hell with trying to improve his own sorry team's record and the hell with starting him against a couple of contenders. Somebody needs to tell this d o u c h e b a g that it is a playoff situation, only his team isn't involved. MLB's competition committee needs to look closely at this one. What a great incentive for Boston to destroy the Rays during the '08 season. This guy is the dumbest f u c k to manage a major league baseball team in the modern era.

[Steve Liddell]

ANYONE who has tickets and are upset about Shields not pitching ,is just plain selfish!! This is his 1st full year in the big leagues,215 innings are enough.If the Rays were fighting for a playoff spot,sure you keep in in.But it would be senseless to risk injury to an outstanding young pitcher by potentially over extending him this year.

[Stefan]

I agree,Shield's future health is more important. The competition committee,the Spankees, and the Red Sux, can all go to hell.We have to think about Shields and us!!

[agatha]

"It's a good thing you two idiots are blindly loyal and will buy tickets no matter what my doofus manager does."--S. Sternberg

[SurgeAndSettle]

what a joke .... let the guy pitch!
Merlot Joe is a Clown

still can't believe these losers are content to keep him .... ohh wait, he's perfect for an ownership group that shows no hope of ever putting a winner on the field:

he's cheap
he doesn't question management

[Doug]

I'm disappointed by the Shields shutdown. I would try to make a plea for him to get his last two starts, but I fear being shouted down by the sabermatricians who probably have some argument for strictly observed pitch counts (per game or per season) with pitchers at certain ages and at certain phases of their biorhythms. The fact is, he could pitch or not pitch two more games and blow out his arm somewhere down the road either way. Let's just say I'm disappointed that one of the bright lights of this season has to sit and watch....

...the likes of J.P. Howell.

Aren't there any other promising arms in this organization that we could bring up for the fans to see? Oh yeah, pitch counts and years of service and blah blah blah. I guess I better just get used to it because this is the way it's going to have to be, I guess.

[Michael]

I have two tickets for the Red Sox series and they are in a hot race in the AL. I just wanted to see a quality pitcher go against them and make it a great series. Thanks Rays, now I will have to sell the tickets.

[Chris]

I agree. Shields could have pitched tonight and hurt his arm in a game that means nothing....Wait a minute. Whats Upton doing playing tonight? He could try to run out an infield hit and pull something. And Pena could strain his rib cage swinging for the fences. In fact any of our players could get hurt if they play the rest of the season. Since this year doesn't matter anyway, why don't we sit everybody and forfeit the rest of our games so our players can be fresh next year.

[lila]

The dysfunctional Maddon is a joke loser. He is a perfect bench coach--totally a n a l retentive with no flair or imagination. Perfect for the cheapskate Sternberg.

[formerrayfan]

It's just another way Sternberg-Friedman-Maddon is telling the fans to go f u c k off.

[kb]

people, calm down. think about it -- we've already clinched another 90-loss season with today's loss to the angels. what do we have to play for, really?? let's face it, all the rays players are just going through the motions at this point. obviously we're going nowhere this year so we might as well protect our investment!

215 innings is more than enough for somebody like shields to throw. he's way too valuable to take chances on right now. who cares about the yankees and red sox -- the red sox have practically dug their own grave at this point anyway. let them do whatever they're going to do. we've got to keep our guys healthy!!!!

PS i am one of the toughest maddon criticizers ever, but i think he's right on with this.

[myles]

Well, kb, how do you feel about clinching the worst record in baseball? I guess you like being part of the world's biggest loser. The only difference between you and pennypincher Sternberg is that he is collecting revenue sharing and you're not getting a dime. Both of you are enjoying the shoddy product on the field. You are probably part of the fan club that loves to bash the Os, an admittedly terrible team, but meanwhile, check the standings and see what team is worse. This ownership/ manager combo is the worst in the history of baseball and they deserve the dense fan base that you represent.

[kb]

excuse me, i don't "represent" anything you just mentioned. grow up and cut out the childish crap. the rest of your post isn't worth acknowledging. i'm as much a rays fan as anyone so don't presume. keep it to yourself from now on. kthxbye.

[wiggy]

I guess since KB has no defense or rationale, he is going to refer to other posts as "childish crap." The fact is that Myles and most others on this blog make perfect sense. Maddon is not equipped to manage at any level. And as long as there are 9,999 fans like kb, Sternberg will be happy to fill 10,000 seats on the average. Oops, I forgot, the Red Sox and Yankee fans bring the average up a couple of grand...so make that 7,999 fans like kb.

[kb]

wow, there are some angry people here! first of all i'm not a guy. second, it's really not necessary to post personal attacks about somebody you know NOTHING about. make all the snap judgments you like but you just make yourself look ridiculous because you're wrong. make me a good argument as to why you'd keep shields pitching, anyone. anyone! bueller? what, you want us to have 97 losses and not 99 this year? brilliant. you guys can't think clearly, that's obvious. maybe before going online and posting all sorts of anonymous personal attacks towards honest rays fans (like myself), you can settle down, take your meds, think rationally (2 + 2 = 4!) and come to the ONLY right answer for the rays: shields IS TOO IMPORTANT TO WASTE ON ONE OR TWO MORE STARTS!!! no matter what the outcome of those games! i've said before that i think maddon should have been gone long ago, so stop lumping me in the same category with him. grow up and move on, kiddos; the decision has been made.

....duh.

there's my "defense and rationale," "wiggy."

[rays in '08]

That's the problem..you're not a guy. Get on the WNBA blog.

[kb]

rays in 08... sorry, didn't realize you liked to get so cozy with your boys. it's ok, not all boys have to "like" girls! and are you going to say why shields should pitch again this year or what?