The Rays are bringing David Hess back into the fold, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Cathy Peek McEwen). In a corresponding move, Chris Mazza has been optioned to Triple-A, per Rays’ host Neil Solondz (via Twitter).
Hess was traded from the Rays to the Marlins earlier this season. After 14 appearances covering 18 innings with a 8.00 ERA, the Marlins designated him for assignment and he elected free agency. Hess will presumably join the Rays bullpen in the near future.
The 28-year-old Hess spent seven seasons in the Orioles organization after being selected in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He debuted with Baltimore in 2018 and was an up-and-down member of their staff over the next three seasons, pitching to a 5.86 ERA through 190 1/3 innings.
By the headline, I thought it was a front-office move.
He will DFA tomorrow for Chris Archer
Who will be called up Monday when they DFA Archer?
Hey, the Hess Truck is back home again
The way the rays have used their roster this year has been absolutely unbelievable. The pitching turnover and calling up guys nobody has ever even heard of and they just come up and perform one after another all while having the 3rd beat record in all of baseball. After losing glasnow, snell and Morton and trading their closer at the deadline there isn’t a soul who would’ve believed the position they’re in now. They have an A+ pitching staff all on the IL right now. It’s incredibly
It is amazing they are still in first, but will they stay? Wacha pitched his best game in ages last night, still not a great game; he is their most experienced starter. Does this patchwork of openers and rookies work through Sept and hopefully Oct? Having no closer is an issue–last night’s loss to the sox being an example. Chargois may have some good stats *this* year, but does that mean he can close? I am a long-time Rays fan, but I see more problems w this scenario than most. My first hope is we hold off the Yankees for the division. Then it’s a lot of holding the breath…
I don’t see how they don’t stay in first, if you go by majorities over a season long… the rays pitching has been pretty dang good all season and with multiple pitchers getting ready to come off the IL which makes the rays pitching even better… I don’t see the winning stopping. The rays are getting ready to get back 3 A+ pitchers in the bullpen including their closer so that will no longer be an issue. And the thing about wacha isn’t true, his best games this year have actually come against the best teams which make no sense but also not only are you getting good pitchers off the IL, yes they’ve been hurt but in a sense it almost acted like a break and rest for their arms and technically should be more fresh than most going into the back end of the season.
Wacha has been awful most of the year. Not bad, awful. Nelson Cruz cannot get a clutch hit against a good team (sorry, was never convinced by this trade, and I sure would love to have two RH starters right now). McClanahan has pitched well, but he is a rookie and how many innings can he pitch? Patino has two excellent pitches, but still struggles–he is only 21, barely pitched last year, and faces the same innings crunch. I love Fleming, but he is either solid or gets bashed–how far can he go? Yarbs is the same pitcher. Rasmussen, honestly, is up there w Sugar Shane…and he cannot pitch more than four.
My concern: when you put so much reliance on your BP from April through August, can they keep it up? Even w two good relievers (and Feyereisen) coming back? How much can you rely on them?
Rays needed pitching at trade deadline and got none. Oh, except for Armstrong, Ellis, et al
P.S I hope I am wrong.
The credit goes to their manager. He is taking what the front office gives him placing them in the right situations to be successful. He makes out the lineup card and is changing the pitchers when he has to, and you don’t win every game but he has these guys believjng they can.
I’m mot sure what it is now, but going in to spring training, the Ray’s had 38 pitchers in their system projected to be above average.
Thirty eight!
Mercy.
They remind me of a college football team that just keeps coming at you in waves. The Yanks have been the hottest team in the AL & we can’t seem to make up any ground on these guys, man.
They must be driving Hal so crazy.
Which is actually kinda fun to think about.
Tampa bay is just a tremendous organisation, lot of respect for the Rays.
If they are bringing him back again, they must see something special in his game. They are right most of the time
The Rays are a great team to admire if you’re the fan of another team.
? I admire the Rays and they are my favorite team. Strange comment.
He means they are the role model team
Shawn Armstrong and David Hess…2 Orioles rejects pitching for a team that figures to make the AL finals (even if they likely won’t get past the White Sox)…says a lot about both organizations.