ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays have a slew of pitchers looking to earn a spot in the five-man starting rotation. But here's a kink in the plans for a few of them:
The Rays likely will open the season with a four-man rotation.
Because of the opening two-game trip to Japan followed by five off days, then four off days during April, manager Lou Piniella doesn't see a fifth starter being used until April 24.
"That could dictate that we could carry one less pitcher for a month," Piniella said. "We'll see how this thing shakes itself out."
It likely will shake out like this: The Rays will start the season with 14 position players and 11 pitchers on the 25-man roster, and once they get into the schedule and need a fifth starter, they will go with 13 position players and 12 pitchers.
For the first month, though, the Rays expect to use four starters, and it's likely that the pitchers used in the games against the Yankees in Japan will come back to pitch the first two games at Tropicana Field against the Yankees after the team returns.
"The two most obvious would be (Victor) Zambrano and (Jeremi) Gonzalez," Piniella said, "but we'll wait a while on that."
Another scenario could have starting pitchers work as relievers if needed during the trip to Japan.
Either way, Piniella doesn't have much time to make his choices.
"We're going to have to make decisions a little earlier than most teams," Piniella said. "It makes things a little tougher. We start our spring training games on (March) 6 and we're going to Japan on (March) 25, so we really only have 21/2 weeks, which isn't that long. That is why we've been scrambling like heck to get some B games and, also, play some intersquad games."
Though Piniella has more experienced pitchers and a few more reliable starters than a year ago, figuring out what his pitching staff will look like is the Rays' most pressing question of the spring.
"We'll start evaluating the pitchers probably starting in the exhibition season, and it's still early to do it then," Piniella said. "But we're going to have to do it sometime."
LIVE BP: Today marks the beginning of serious work for the pitchers. And hitters, too. Starting today, pitchers, instead of coaches, will throw batting practice to the hitters.
And don't look for any lollipops down the middle. Pitchers will be bringing their stuff.
"The hitters aren't ready for it," Piniella said, "but the pitchers will be working on some things."
The No.1 thing he wants pitchers to work on?
"We want to see, more than anything else, these guys throwing strikes," he said. "It's one thing we really have to work on with our pitching staff this year, cutting down on some of the (difficulties) as far as walks and hit batters and wild pitches. Those are the things we need to improve on to become a better staff. And we will because we have more experience here."
FORTY REASONS TO LIKE McGRIFF: Piniella is impressed that first baseman and Tampa native Fred McGriff is nine homers shy of 500. But he's more impressed that McGriff can still play at age 40.
"It's not easy playing baseball at age 40," Piniella said. "People don't realize how difficult that is. ... You got to pay a price to play at 40. You got to keep yourself in good shape. And you got to have determination and willpower. I played until I was almost 41 and I couldn't wait to quit playing."
MISCELLANY: Pitcher Seth McClung, recovering from Tommy John surgery and not expected to pitch before July, was placed on the 60-day disabled list. That leaves 39 players on the 40-man roster. ... Shortstop B J Upton did not participate in throwing drills Monday because of a tender elbow. It's not believed to be anything more than a sore arm often seen early in the spring.
