The Rays are in a bit of a pickle as starters Drew Smyly and Alex Colome are both currently out of commission with a shoulder injury and pneumonia, respectively. Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman says that neither pitcher will be ready to start the season and that the club is considering both internal and external options, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Silverman said, “The wheels are spinning and we’re working on contingencies already.”
27-year-old Nate Karns, acquired from the Nationals in February last year, should have a very good chance of earning one of the two open rotation slots. In 145 1/3 innings with Triple-A Durham, the right-hander posted a 5.08 ERA with a 153/62 K/BB ratio.
