ST. PETERSBURG — Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax threw 42 pitches — 25 for strikes — over three innings in a minor league rehab start against Triple-A Gwinnett at Gwinnett Field on Sunday, raising the possibility that his next outing could come in the Rays’ big league rotation.
Jax, on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort, added an inning to his workload after throwing 25 pitches over two innings in a simulated game last Tuesday at Tropicana Field. He was scratched from a scheduled start in Seattle on Aug. 8, went on the IL the following day and received an injection to “calm the back of the elbow down” after undergoing testing with Dr. Keith Meister on Aug. 10 in Dallas.
The rehab outing was uneven early. Jax allowed three runs in a 23-pitch first inning on a leadoff walk, a single, a two-run double and another RBI single. He settled in sharply after that, striking out two batters in a nine-pitch second inning and working around a walk in a 10-pitch third. According to Statcast, he threw each of his six pitches at least once during the outing.
If Jax follows the same trajectory as Shane McClanahan, he could jump straight from one rehab start to the big league staff. His return would give Tampa Bay more starters than spots in a five-man rotation, with Jax set to join Drew Rasmussen, McClanahan, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta and Ian Seymour. The club could address the logjam by “piggybacking” two of those starters, such as Jax and Seymour.
Jax has already thrown a career-high 91 2/3 innings this season after making a successful transition from the bullpen to the rotation in late April. In 18 starts between April 26 and Aug. 2, Jax went 5-7 with a 3.16 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings.
The Rays have not announced when Jax’s next turn on the mound will come or whether it will be in the majors, but a decision is expected before the club’s next homestand at Tropicana Field.