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Rays journal: Concern mounts over health of Matt Duffy

 
Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Thursday's game that there is no timetable for when Matt Duffy will start another rehab assignment.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Thursday's game that there is no timetable for when Matt Duffy will start another rehab assignment.
Published June 9, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are growing concerned over SS Matt Duffy's lack of progress while rehabbing from surgery in September on his left heel.

Duffy, who was expected to be ready by spring training, ended his minor-league rehab assignment last month because of soreness in the area. A foul ball off this left foot impeded his progress, but that is not the holdup.

It's the lingering pain in the heel. Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Thursday's game that there is no timetable for when Duffy will start another rehab assignment, adding that there is "definite concern" within the organization.

"It's just not feeling right, for whatever reason," Cash said. "I don't think anybody can pinpoint (it). We continue to have doctors look at him. He's been very good at communicating how he feels, and it's just not right."

RAYS TAKE DOWN WHITE SOX: But Kevin Kiermaier is hurt in the win.

REST IS GOOD, BUT …

RHP Alex Cobb, tonight's starter, is not a big fan of having the extra day of rest between starts.

"I feel like there's been a little bit made too much of the extra rest," he said, adding if RHP Matt Andriese (groin) didn't go on the disabled list, he would have pitched Thursday.

But Cobb will take the time off.

"It gives you time to catch up and let your body heal a little bit, and it will hopefully pay dividends later in August and September," he said.

NORRIS INVESTIGATION

Kristen Eck, who says she was "physically and emotionally abused" by former fiance Derek Norris, will meet with Major League Baseball investigators on Tuesday, she told the Tampa Bay Times. That is a key step in MLB's process to determine if the Rays catcher will be disciplined.

MILLER UPDATE

An MRI exam revealed a strain on the right side of 2B Brad Miller's hip and groin, an injury that has him on the 10-day disabled list for a stay that could be longer than the 13 games he missed last month with a left abdominal strain.

"The main thing for me is I want to feel healthy," Miller said. "During the season you're going to play through nicks and bruises, but you know the difference between pain and injury. We get this thing to calm down like the last one and it's nothing structural, we can get on a good program."

Miller said the latest injury is not related to the abdominal strain since it was on the other side of his body and since he felt that was healed before he returned to the active roster June 2.

MOONEY'S TAKEAWAYS: Staff writer Roger Mooney's takeaways from Thursday's Rays-White Sox game.

PRIDE DAY

The Rays celebrate Pride Night tonight for the members of the LGBTQ community. A pregame moment of silence will honor the 49 victims of last year's shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. A special ticket package offers lower-level tickets, and a Rays Pride Tumbler for $30 is available at raysbaseball.com/specialevents.

REHAB UPDATES

RHP Brad Boxberger (right flexor strain) allowed three runs on five hits in his one inning Tuesday at Class A Charlotte. C Wilson Ramos (knee surgery) was 0-for-3 and caught five innings for the Stone Crabs. He will DH for them today.

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ROSTER SHUFFLE

OF Peter Bourjos (tennis elbow) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. RHP Jacob Faria, who beat the White Sox on Wednesday in his major-league debut, was optioned to Triple-A Durham.