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Tim Beckham demotion tough but necessary, Rays manager says

 
Tim Beckham is among the team leaders with five homers and 16 RBIs but was batting only .224.
Tim Beckham is among the team leaders with five homers and 16 RBIs but was batting only .224.
Published May 24, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — As difficult of a conversation as it was, manager Kevin Cash said the Rays had to send down INF Tim Beckham in order to add an extra arm to a bullpen that has been the most heavily used in the majors.

"We had to make the move simply because we have to do what's best for the team, and innings are what's important right now," Cash said. "Our bullpen is a little gassed, they've been worked very hard and it made the most sense."

LHP Enny Romero joined the Rays from Triple-A Durham on Saturday as the eighth reliever then after pitching three innings was shipped out, to be replaced today by RHP Preston Guilmet as the Rays seek to always have a fresh arm available to go multiple innings. Relievers have worked 150 of the Rays' 3911/3 innings, a hefty 38.3 percent.

Cash said there may be a time when they feel the bullpen is rested enough to carry seven relievers. An option could be to drop RHP Ernesto Frieri, who seems relegated to mop-up duty, and keep a long reliever in his place.

Until then, they will go with 13 pitchers, thus only three bench players.

For now, Beckham won't be one despite ranking among the top five Rays in homers (five) and RBIs (16). Nick Franklin, a switch-hitter, will serve as the primary backup middle infielder. Beckham, even after two hits Friday, was 6-for-his-last-42 and hitting .224 overall.

"They're all tough," Cash said. "This one was deserving to kind of shake everybody up because of what Beck has provided, the type of player he's been and, probably most important, the type of teammate he's been. Everybody loves him. We're hopeful that he'll be back soon. … I think Beck has proved to all of us he's a big-leaguer."

QUICK TRIP: Romero woke up at 3 a.m. in Scranton, Pa., flew to Charlotte then Tampa, then had a messy outing, walking four straight and five total. But Cash said he still "really picked us up big" since his outing allowed the other relievers to get a needed break. He was the first Rays reliever to walk five since LHP Jeff Bennett in 2009.

The choices to replace Romero were somewhat limited as the requisite 10 days had not passed for either RHP Matt Andriese or RHP Andrew Bellatti to be recalled since their last stint. Guilmet was claimed on waivers May 13 from Toronto. He has big-league time with the Indians and Orioles. He has a 2.04 ERA in 14 Triple-A games.

MOORE UPDATE: LHP Matt Moore (Tommy John surgery) wasn't pleased with the results but felt good after his first live game, a two-inning extended spring outing against the Orioles.

Moore allowed two runs on five hits (two doubles, one triple) in facing 10 batters, throwing 36 pitches (25 strikes). "It's not typically where I like to be at," Moore said in Port Charlotte. "It definitely was a day of battling, kind of trying to work with what I had. Not having as sharp as stuff as I'd like is probably normal for this time right now, 13 months (after surgery)."

The Rays will decide if Moore makes another extended spring appearance or starts a rehab assignment.

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SNELL STREAK SNAPPED: Double-A Montgomery LHP Blake Snell's season-starting scoreless streak of 46 innings, three shy of the modern-day minor-league single-season record, ended when he allowed a first-inning run to Tennessee. Snell posted five more zeroes as his ERA rose to 0.29.

MISCELLANY: RHP Grant Balfour can ask out of his contract at Durham this week; he has a 2.25 ERA in seven games, allowing eight hits and three walks in eight innings, striking out 11. … CF Kevin Kiermaier made his first error after 109 chances. … 1B James Loney's hitting streak ended at nine games. … LHP C.J. Riefenhauser (shoulder inflammation) and INF Ryan Brett (left shoulder subluxation) will start rehab assignments today with the Class A Stone Crabs. … Wednesday's 1:10 p.m. aces-high matchup of RHP Chris Archer vs. Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez is not scheduled to be televised by Sun Sports.