Slow healers keep Harper in rotation

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times
published May 22, 2002

SEATTLE -- Neither Wilson Alvarez nor Delvin James will be ready to pitch Saturday at Oakland, so Travis Harper will make his third start.

The Rays had indicated Alvarez or James was likely to come off the disabled list by the weekend. But they decided to have Alvarez make a third minor-league rehabilitation appearance and to take things more slowly with James.

That leaves Harper, who pitched five shutout innings to beat Baltimore on Sunday, in the rotation.

Alvarez is physically over the strained rib cage muscle that forced him to the disabled list April 15. But after he needed 76 pitches to complete three innings in a rehab start Sunday, Rays coaches decided he needed another minor-league appearance, which will be Saturday for Double-A Orlando in Greenville, S.C.

"He feels good and his velocity was good," trainer Jamie Reed said.

James was sidelined last week with stiffness in his shoulder, the result of inflammation in the rotator cuff that Reed said is not in a "danger area."

The 24-year-old rookie is working out at the minor-league complex in St. Petersburg.

IN RELATED NEWS: Matt White, who had shoulder surgery last May, made his second strong extended spring training outing Tuesday with five shutout innings. ... Kevin McGlinchy, acquired in the Rule 5 draft from Atlanta, made his first extended spring appearance, pitching one hitless inning. McGlinchy is recovering from March 2001 shoulder surgery.

CRAWFORD SIDELINED: Outfielder Carl Crawford, who has emerged as the Rays' top prospect, had been doing so well at Triple-A Durham there was some thought about bringing him to the major leagues.

Now he's not going anywhere for a while.

Crawford was placed on the Triple-A disabled list Tuesday with a strained oblique muscle on his right side. Durham officials indicated that the injury was not serious and that Crawford could be back in action in a week.

The 20-year-old was hitting .350 with five home runs, 28 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

The Rays signed veteran major-leaguer Dave McCarty to a Triple-A contract. McCarty, 32, was released May 15 by Kansas City after hitting .094 in 13 games. The infielder/outfielder was a first-round pick in 1991 by Minnesota.

THUMBS UP: Ben Grieve says the bruise on his left thumb, the result of a callous, is not the reason he has been struggling at the plate, entering play Tuesday with three hits in his past 32 at-bats and no homers since April 30.

"It sort of rips every time I swing a bat, but it's not stopping me from doing anything," he said. "Things are just a little slow for me. It's a little slump."

TAKE THAT: After being swept by the Yankees for the second time in a month, Twins star centerfielder Torii Hunter wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. "We can play with them, they know that," Hunter said. "We're not the Devil Rays."

MISCELLANY: Greg Vaughn said his side trip to Sacramento for Monday's Kings-Lakers NBA playoff game was a good one. "It was loud and it was fun," said Vaughn, a Kings season-ticket holder. ... Mariners DH Edgar Martinez, out since April 11 with a knee problem that required surgery, could be activated for Tuesday's game at the Trop if he gets through weekend workouts in extended spring training. ... Former Rays shortstop Felix Martinez rejoined the Royals and is at Double-A Wichita. ... Toby Hall will work on his behind-the-plate fundamentals with catching instructor Glenn Ezell for the next two days and return to the lineup Friday in Oakland.

Today's lineup

Rays