Rays journal: More bullpen changes as Diego Moreno heads to DL

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays bullpen has another new look.

The latest change was promoted by RHP Diego Moreno, who pitched relatively well over five appearances, going on the 10-day disabled list due to shoulder bursitis.

That led the Rays to summon RHP Ryan Garton from Triple-A Durham, where he was pitching remarkably well.

And there will be another move coming as veteran RHP Tommy Hunter is set to come off the DL, having been out a month with a calf strain.

Moreno said, via team translator Wendi Tripp, he felt fine in his most recent outing Sunday but "that night I got up around midnight and I kind of felt something bothering me in there."

Moreno said the diagnosis was inflammation; manager Kevin Cash called it "a cranky shoulder" that needs some time to calm down.

"It's unfortunate," Cash said. "He's a guy we liked, we were intrigued by. He seemed to match up pretty well against some lefties with his changeup. The hope is, get him healthy as soon as possible and get him back in the bullpen."

Garton, a Mitchell High product, had been dominant at Durham, allowing one earned run and striking out 24 in 15⅓ innings over 11 appearances.

"Maybe this is the time we see him take his Durham steps into the big leagues because what he's doing in Durham has been really impressive," Cash said.

Hunter felt good after a one-inning, 21-pitch rehab outing for the advanced Class A Stone Crabs on Tuesday. "We could see him here very soon being re-activated," Cash said.

Needed: Transition team

The Rays have used five rookies in their bullpen plus Ryan Garton, who is in his second season. Manager Kevin Cash said they need to get them to be better on arrival. "We've got to find a way to get a lot of these guys that come up, any young guy, to find comfort immediately," Cash said. "And that's not easy to do.

"Sometimes, we see it with a lot of players, it takes a couple outings here or there, or a month here to there. Where we use some of these bullpen guys, and the state of our bullpen, we've got to find a way to speed that process up so they can impact us fairly quickly."

Number of the day

543 Career walks by Evan Longoria, the most recent coming in the third inning Wednesday, surpassing Ben Zobrist's franchise record.

Andriese looking for more

RHP Matt Andriese felt he could have gone a full six or even seven innings in his most recent start Saturday, but circumstances dictated otherwise. Andriese was ejected after his first pitch of the sixth hit Yankees cover boy Aaron Judge, the umpires deciding it was intentional since Rays DH Corey Dickerson had been hit the inning before.

"That point in the game my pitch count was really low (87). … I think I put myself in good position to go seven innings," Andriese said. "Looking forward to this start, kind of some unfinished business."

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Miscellany

• There's no bay area TV coverage today as Fox Sports Sun is not showing the game.

• 2B Brad Miller (abdominal strain) took what manager Kevin Cash called "a step in the right direction" Wednesday by doing some light running, having already taken swings and fielded ground balls.

• The Angels are summoning RHP Daniel Wright from Triple A to start today in place of RHP Alex Meyer, who has back tightness.

• The Canterbury School for Florida Class A state championship softball team will be recognized before today's game.