ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Early returns are positive for reliever Jesse Crain.
On Tuesday, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon said "everything appears to be in good shape moving forward” after the reliever threw about 30 pitches in a live batting practice session Monday at Tropicana Field. Maddon added that the Rays haven’t made concrete plans about when Crain will return, but the team should know more about the pitcher’s status soon.
"He was a little bit sore today," Maddon said. "That's a good thing, not a bad thing. He's working out right now with (head athletic trainer) Ronnie (Porterfield). We'll see if we can get the go-ahead with Ronnie. We'll see if we can get the go-ahead tomorrow, and then we can make our plans how to get him in the game possibly or whatever the next step is."
Crain, on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain, was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on July 29. He last appeared in a game June 29 against the Cleveland Indians, when he allowed one run and three hits in one inning.
"Time's getting short, and I want to get out there as soon as we can," Crain said Monday. "Where we're at right now in the season, we probably want to get me out there as soon as possible. That move will be made as soon as we feel comfortable with it."
On Tuesday, Maddon said the report he received about Crain’s session was "positive" and "favorable." Still, a return date seems unclear.
"It's 50-50," Maddon said, when asked if Crain will return soon. "It's truly right on the 50-50 line."
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