Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta is recovering from a right shoulder injury and threw his first bullpen session since early Spring Training, though he will not be ready for Opening Day. Manager Kevin Cash expressed encouragement about Uceta's progress, which could see him return to the bullpen in early April. The Rays also secured a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins in a Spring Training game featuring several bullpen candidates.
In Fort Myers, Florida, Rays high-leverage reliever Edwin Uceta participated in a bullpen session at Charlotte Sports Park on Saturday, marking his first mound work since being shut down less than a week into Spring Training due to a right shoulder injury. Manager Kevin Cash noted the positive development, stating, “Very encouraged by that. He seemed happy, which was good.” Uceta requires additional bullpen sessions before progressing to live batting practice, expected around the time the Rays break camp for their opening series against the St. Louis Cardinals beginning March 26 in St. Louis. This timeline positions him for a potential Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham by month's end, with a possible return to Tampa Bay's bullpen in early April.
The injury also led Uceta to withdraw from the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic roster. With Uceta sidelined to start the season on the injured list, the Rays must fill five bullpen spots behind late-inning relievers Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, and Bryan Baker. Candidates include right-handers Hunter Bigge, Cole Sulser, Kevin Kelly, non-roster left-hander Cam Booser, and others such as Mason Englert, Yoendrys Gómez, Ian Seymour, Joe Boyle, and non-roster right-hander Jake Woodford.
Several of these pitchers appeared in the Rays' 9-6 Spring Training victory over the Twins at Lee Health Sports Complex on Saturday. Woodford pitched two scoreless innings on 40 pitches, with 24 strikes. Sulser allowed one run on two hits, striking out two over five outs. Kelly issued a walk followed by a two-run homer while recording four outs. Bigge threw two innings on 23 pitches, with 12 strikes and two strikeouts. Gómez struck out two in an 11-strike, 19-pitch inning. Cash emphasized the need for control, saying, “If you throw the ball over the plate, you're here because you do some stuff that we already know will get hitters to get out or swing and miss. So it's just about filling up the strike zone and holding runners.” Bigge commented on multi-inning relief: “I like it. It's like more time to figure stuff out while I'm pitching.”
First baseman Jonathan Aranda returned to the lineup after representing Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, starting at first base and batting third. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and played five innings. Cash recounted Aranda's eagerness: “He was adamant. He said, 'I'm coming in tomorrow. Can I please play?'” Aranda described his WBC experience as “a beautiful thing” and highlighted his tiebreaking eighth-inning home run against Great Britain on March 6, saying through interpreter Kevin Vera, “It was such a magnificent moment... I was super proud of it.”
In game notes, non-roster catcher Kenny Piper hit a three-run homer and threw out a runner. Outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Prospect Xavier Isaac was 2-for-2 with a steal, and Brailer Guerrero added an RBI single, a walk, and a stolen base.