Garza on 15-day DL

Update, 11:00 p.m The Rays have placed RHP Matt Garza on the 15-day disabled list after he left the game with radial nerve irritation.

Garza said he's been bothered since late last year with similar type issues, but he's always been able to pitch through it.

Garza said his right hand felt numb, and he couldn't grip his pitches well. Before he could tolerate the discomfort. Until Tuesday.

"This time it was just real bad," Garza said. "I knew something was up."

The Rays have called up RHP Jae Kuk Ryu from Triple-A, but manager Joe Maddon said after the game that Ryu would likely come to help in the bullpen, and another starter will be called up to replace Garza - at least, temporarily - in the rotation (Jeff Niemann?).

Update, 8:45 p.m. Garza left the game with what the Rays said was "radial nerve irritation,'' which is the nerve that runs from the upper to lower part of the arm and from the back to the front. More details will be available after the game, but it doesn't sound particularly good.

Update, 8:09 p.m. Rays starter Matt Garza left the game in the top of third with head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield. Garza was clearly struggling with command, having walked two of the last batters in an ugly three-run inning, and appeared to call for Porterfield to come out. Garza had thrown 70 pitches, and nine of his last 12 were balls.

Update 5:06 p.m. Manager Joe Maddon said the club was "very encouraged" with what they saw Tuesday from ace LHP Scott Kazmir, who threw a 42-pitch live batting practice at the Trop, his first BP session since mid-March.

Kazmir, who is rehabbing a left elbow strain, said he felt "great," throwing curveball, changeup and sliders with good location and, according to Maddon, hitting the low 90s in velocity. He faced Elliot Johnson, Willy Aybar, Nathan Haynes and Mike DiFelice, with DiFelice the only one to make significant, solid contact.

With the Rays leaving some wiggle room to eliminate a second BP depending on how Kazmir feels, the lefty was quick to say he's ready to throw in an extended spring training game (likely a two-inning, controlled situation at the minor league complex).

But Kazmir, Maddon & Co. will get together this afternoon, and possibly wait until how Kazmir feels Wednesday, before making that decision. If it's another batting practice session, it'd likely be Friday. If it's an extended spring, it would be later.

"It feels like everything is right where I want it to be," Kazmir said. "I'm ready to start games, but if they say I need another live batting practice, I'm not going to argue."

LHP Kurt Birkins also threw a batting practice session - his second in four days - -saying he felt stronger than his last one, and that he'll throw one inning in an extended spring training game on Friday.

Tropicana Field is bustling with activity as the Rays prepare for their home opener against the Mariners. Most of the attention pre-game is on the mound, where Scott Kazmir is throwing live batting practice as part of his recovery from a left elbow strain.

The Rays lineup has something of an interesting look too, as ths Rays try to combat Seattle lefthander Erik Bedard by starting Elliot Johnson - who had very limited experience in the outfield before this spring - in rightfield. That's somewhat surprising since Jonny Gomes - who has started 76 major-league games in rightfield - is also in the lineup, but at DH.

Also, Carlos Pena will receive his Players Choice AL Comeback Player of the Year award from James Shields in a pre-game ceremony.

The lineup:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Pena, 1b
Upton, cf
Gomes, DH
Aybar, 3b
Riggans, c
Johnson, rf
Bartlett, ss
Matt Garza is starting for the Rays.

Mariners lineup

Suzuki, cf
Lopez, 2b
Beltre, 3b
Ibanez, LF
Sexon, 1b
Wilkerson, RF
Vidro, DH
Johjima, C
Betancourt, SS
LHP Erik Bedard is starting for the Mariners

Comments

[JB]

Same story different year... I am afraid that KAZ will always be injury prone. Look who he threw to today.. they have a combined Average of maybe .219. Please. The season has started and this guy is no help right now.

[Re: JB]

JB, if your comments weren't borderline incoherent, I would have been offended as a rays fan.

[raysfan]

why do we have to have so much hostility on this board? we're all fans of the same team, are we not. these "anonymous" comments full of animosity should stop. it adds nothing to the conversation and jst discourages people from posting.

garza is looking a little shaky tonight.

[Bryan]

Guys its been 6 games...things will work themselves out. you have to give it time.

christ.

[enginenumbernine]

Thanks for the home opening loss, guys. I'm gonna go WAY out on a limb and predict another last-place finish.

[Rays fan 21]

I think the biggest problem with this team right now is the pitching coach. A good percentage of our young pitchers have been accumulating injuries lately. The common thread: the pitching coach. Also, Maddon is a terrible manager. Why would he intentionally walk a batter in the 3rd inning with your pitcher struggling so bad and then intentionally walk the same guy again. He really makes some boneheaded decisions sometimes. I can see intentionally walking someone in the 7th inning or later but not so early in the game. Yesterday I knew we should of taken out hammel out after the fifth and he left him in. Result; he got lit up and put the game out of reach. Hammel is the type thats only good for going thru a line up twice. I watched him enough to know that. You would think his manager would know that. He really needs to go!

[dj]

I really don't like the "its been bothering me since last year" comment. You trade for a pithcher w/ a bum arm? I hope this is nothing major but I'm not excepting good news.

[raysfan]

oh fantastic: jae kuk ryu. this deadbeat bum led us to countless problems in the past. let's hope garza can hurry the F up and get healthy again and the excuses regarding kazmir can end so he can come back and pitch already. this is already very tiresome and we're only a couple games in. i hate to say it but already we are looking like the same old unchanged rays. i'm wondering if this organization has even the first clue as to how to turn this sinking ship around!!!!

[Dan Curtis]

http://rallyfried.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/bad-fanmanship/

[problems]

It's not he pitching at all. The pitching has given the Rays a chance to win each game. So far Aki and Crawford have done nothing, and I do not like batting 3 lefties in a row at the top of an order......that make the latter part of the game much easier to coach against. The Rays have speed but nobody at the top, or bottom, of the order is getting on base. Right field is also killing us defensively. In the 6 games there are easily 6 outs that should have been made by a decent right fielder. And what's up with Elliott Johnson playing? He can't hit so why not put in Hayes who can't hit either but is a good outfielder?

[Craig]

Are people seriously whining already? During the second week of the regular season?

Maybe you girls should go watch WNBA and STFU about the Rays... you obviously can't handle baseball.

[Jesse]

As a season ticket holder for the past 2 years I think i could manage this team better..maddon lets th eguys do what they want in the clubhouse (CC said it best in the offseason) and bu doing those 2 int walks yesterday really made me realize HE SUCKS..So does Jim Hickey the alcoholic..Getting rid of Delmon and Elijah was good for the team, regardless of how good DY might be in the future..Did you see Bartletts 3 sweet plays at short??? I did..And Garza lookd good until he lost his grip on the ball cuz of the nerve strain.. yeah CC and AKi are struggling, BY god if they dont bat .500 in the forst 2 weeks..Look at Ryabn Howard last year, he had 0 homeruns the first 15 games i think and ended up with 40 something.. In closing, look at the Detroit Tigers..10x's better on paper and winless..Now look at the rays record and division and marinate on that one..OUT

[Danny]

Bryan, we have waited 10 years to see this sorry team win. How much longer must we wait? Either these guys dont want to play for the Rays, thus making up these injuries such as the nerve thing that Garza seems to have now, or we just have the worst luck in the history of baseball. I am tired of waiting for this team to see some good fortunes.

[Erik]

Did you really just say that you think Garza faked an injury in his second Rays start ever?

[Jesse]

Danny I have read several of your posts and they are ALWYAS either bashing someone or bashing the Rays..Seriously, do you get your rocks off by doing so?? How long did it take the Red Sox to finally win another WS???? 86 years?? Quit hatin on everything and everyone..And Garza said it started last year so y would he be fakin git??

[Sammi]

Maybe he strained it spitting so much. What a pig! Spit, spit, spit. I would have hated to be Erik Bedard and have to follow him to the mound. Disgusting...

[The Children Running the Rays]

WOW! What exactly did you guys expect out of this team? You've got kids with nice college pedigrees running the team ... of course their knowledge of the game is about as deep as the packs of baseball cards they collected a few years ago.