'A guy that does a lot of homework': Driscoll gets big league chance

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ST. PETERSBURG -- Logan Driscoll was getting loose in the home clubhouse at Tropicana Field at one point this weekend, and he still couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. It didn’t seem real.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Driscoll said with a smile Sunday morning. “It’s been a long road, but grateful to be here.”

The Rays promoted the 26-year-old catcher from Triple-A Durham on Sunday, when active rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players. He joined the club Saturday and spent the day on the taxi squad, so he’s had time to get acclimated before likely making his Major League debut behind the plate Tuesday night against the Twins.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Driscoll said. “Just very excited to be here.”

Driscoll is expected to get some starts behind the plate over the final weeks of the season, working alongside Ben Rortvedt and Alex Jackson. It will give him time to get comfortable with the big league staff and atmosphere, and it will provide the Rays with a chance to evaluate him as they determine where he fits in their future plans.

“He’s a pretty well-liked, well-respected teammate. Everybody that’s gone down and rehabbed in Durham this year has come back raving about him. When they saw him walk in the locker room yesterday, there were a lot of excited people,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s done some good things down there. He’s battled some injuries here and there. [We'd] like to get a good look from him, and hopefully he can contribute to the catching group here.”

A second-round pick by the Padres in the 2019 MLB Draft out of George Mason University, Driscoll joined the Rays alongside Manuel Margot in the February 2020 trade that sent reliever Emilio Pagán to San Diego.

The Rays would have had to add Driscoll to their 40-man roster this offseason or risk losing him in the Rule 5 Draft. They have catching prospects Dominic Keegan (Double-A Montgomery) and Kenny Piper (Triple-A) on the way, but they’ve also liked what they’ve seen from and heard about Driscoll.

“Good catcher. Good left-handed hitter. A guy that does a lot of homework, and he’s fun to work with,” said starter Jeffrey Springs, who pitched to Driscoll three times during his rehab assignment with Durham earlier this season. “It’s the constant back and forth in between innings, trying to make adjustments. Good communicator. All the things that, to me, make a good catcher.”

The Rays obviously prioritize defense behind the plate, but it’s no secret they could use more offense from that position as well. Entering Tuesday, their catchers (Rortvedt and Jackson, plus 19 games of René Pinto and three from Rob Brantly) were hitting a combined .199/.282/.307 with eight homers this season. Tampa Bay ranks 28th in the Majors in terms of catchers’ batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.

With that in mind, Driscoll could offer some upside. He hit .292/.367/.473 with seven homers and 24 doubles in 70 Triple-A games this season, saying he has “come into the style of hitting that we’ve been working for” after Spring Training conversations with the coaching staff.

Specifically, Driscoll said he has looked to take a more contact-oriented approach when the situation calls for it, rather than selling out for power. Ideally, that will make him a more well-rounded player at the plate.

Driscoll said he “honestly wasn’t expecting” the promotion to the big leagues when Durham manager Morgan Ensberg called him to share the news. Neither was his wife, Isabel, considering she was on a flight to Boston to attend a friend’s wedding when Driscoll called her to share the news.

Isabel hopped off her plane, stayed with some family for the night and caught a flight to the Tampa Bay area the next morning, joining Driscoll’s family at the Trop for his first day in The Show.

“Everyone’s just very excited,” Driscoll said.