Rays/MLB

Fossum's season may be cut short

By TOM JONES
Published September 2, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays are shutting down starting left-hander Casey Fossum, perhaps for the rest of the season.

Fossum, who will miss Sunday's scheduled start, met with orthopedic physician Koco Eaton on Friday and may have a torn labrum, which would keep him out until spring training. He had an MRI exam, and the Rays want to look at the results more closely before making a decision.

"It's possible he will not pitch again this year, but we're still waiting positively to figure out what we're going to do," manager Joe Maddon said.

Fossum said he expects to meet with noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who repaired Fossum's labrum in 2003.

"The pain is different, but I think it might be a similar (injury)," Fossum said. "I tried to go as long as I could go, but I couldn't go any more. This way, hopefully I'll have time to get ready for next spring."

After the game, the Rays called up pitcher Brian Stokes from Durham and plan to start him Sunday. The Rays also called up pitcher Edwin Jackson.

WARM WELCOME: Rookie Delmon Young was welcomed with open arms by the home fans.

Those fans included his family, most notably his mother, Bonnie, who watched her son play in person for the first time since he was in high school.

A few booed Young, who has made disparaging remarks about the organization, but those boos were drowned out by a decent ovation when Young came to the plate for the first time in the first inning.

Young wasn't worried.

"I'm not even thinking about it," Young said. "They can do whatever they want. It's not going to affect what I do between the lines."

Young, however, did say he was excited that family members, including father Larry and sisters Deidre and Deanne, were in attendance. His mom hadn't seen him play since high school because she gets too nervous watching him.

"It means a lot that she and my dad and aunt and uncle (and sisters) are here," Young said.

HEADED TO THE HALL? Speaking of Young, he is the first player to have eight hits in his first three games since Hall of Famer Willie McCovey in 1959.

Maybe that's why White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called him a "future Hall of Famer."

"I'm not going to take comments like that seriously," Young said. "If it was 20 years from now after a long career when he said that, I'd accept that. But right now, I'm just trying to stay positive and win some games."

"That's Ozzie, laying it on a little thick, and that's okay," Maddon said. "Young has had a very nice start. I appreciate Ozzie's comments and I do like Ozzie a lot."

Maddon, by the way, added he and Guillen "touched base" after the controversy Tuesday, when Young was hit by a pitch in his first major-league at-bat. It appears there are no hard feelings left over from the incident.

NEW FURNITURE: There was an addition to the Rays clubhouse Friday: a pingpong table, courtesy of pitcher James Shields and first baseman Travis Lee, who has quickly established himself as the player to beat.

Maddon is not expected to challenge Lee, but he doesn't mind the table in the clubhouse.

"There was a time I was actually okay, but now it has been so long that I'm not even going to go over there and embarrass myself," Maddon said. "But I'm okay with it. It's a competitive thing, good for hand-eye coordination."

MINOR MATTERS: Pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, from Double-A Montgomery, was named to the Southern League's postseason All-Star team, giving every affiliate in the Rays' system an All-Star. . . . Wade Davis of Class-A SW Michigan pitched a no-hitter Thursday night - and lost. In a seven-inning game (the first game of a doubleheader), Davis struck out seven and walked two in a 1-0 loss to Beloit. The game's only run came when Davis and catcher Christian Lopez made back-to-back errors to set up a sacrifice fly. The only other time a Midwest League pitcher had a no-hitter and lost was May 3, 1972, when Clinton's Lawrence Bracco lost another 1-0 seven-inning game.

[Last modified September 2, 2006, 01:59:27]