The frontrunners -- and dark horses -- to fill in for Glasnow

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. This edition was written by Dawn Klemish, who is helping to fill in for Berry during Spring Training. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Tyler Glasnow’s left oblique was the big news out of camp last week, with the right-hander expected to miss six to eight weeks with a Grade 2 strain. Much had been made of the Rays’ pitching staff entering 2023, with Glasnow himself saying it is the deepest he’s seen during his Tampa Bay tenure.

The Rays closed out 2022 with the fourth-best ERA (3.41) and third-best rotation ERA (3.45) in MLB, and with ace Shane McClanahan leading a pack that included Glasnow, free-agent acquisition Zach Eflin, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay looked poised to roll again in ’23.

Glasnow’s injury was the first blow dealt of the new year. The 29-year-old was looking forward to a fully healthy season after missing all but two starts in 2022 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Now, the Rays are left with decisions to make on whom to plug into the open rotation spot. Glasnow is understandably disappointed by the most recent setback, but he is also confident his teammates can pick up the slack.

“I think knowing that we have all the depth … kind of helps me sleep a little bit [better], knowing I didn't just kind of screw [up] our chances,” Glasnow said. “We have so much depth, and there are so many guys that can cover the spot to where I'll feel confident with whoever's pitching when I'm not there. And then just once I get back, I'll be back.”

Let’s take a look at the two pitchers everyone will have their eyes on this spring as a potential fill-in, plus two arms on the bubble:

THE FRONTRUNNERS: Yonny Chirinos and Luis Patiño
It’s impossible not to want to cheer for Chirinos, who famously waited 752 days between appearances and then worked three scoreless innings of relief on Sept. 8 to earn his first win since Aug. 4, 2019. He had a 3.85 ERA in 133 1/3 innings in 2019, before dealing with dual elbow injuries.

Chirinos tossed a scoreless inning on Tuesday against the Braves in his first spring action, allowing one hit and striking out one.

“I know it's been a few Spring Trainings since I've thrown, but luckily, I feel good,” he said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “… I think I'm gonna be able to just fill in whenever I can and just try to just take care of my role.”

Of all of the heart-warming stories in camp, Chirinos vying for the rotation out of camp might be the "feel-goodiest" ("feel-best?" You get the point …)

We tabbed Pati?o as one of the Rays who are poised for a breakout in 2023, so it’d be silly not to include the talented young righty here. Tampa Bay was looking for the 23-year-old to seize his opportunity last season, but Pati?o sustained an oblique strain just two outs into his season debut on April 11.

Manager Kevin Cash said the Rays are looking for Pati?o to “pitch good but also feel good,” and pointed to Wednesday’s Grapefruit League debut as a step in the right direction. Pati?o followed McClanahan against the Braves and pitched a scoreless third inning with one strikeout. He maintained velocity, mixed pitches and threw strikes -- and if he continues to do so, he’s got as good a shot as any to head north with the parent club.

“Just working really, really hard,” Pati?o said. “[I’m] ready to go and do what [I need to] to make this year right.”

THE DARK HORSES: Josh Fleming and Taj Bradley
Fleming didn’t have such a hot Grapefruit League debut last week but turned it around the second time out, tossing a perfect inning against the Braves on Wednesday.

“First outing, you don't put too much weight into it,” Cash said after Fleming’s six-earned-run, six-hit inning against the Twins. “… We are confident with Flem. He's done it enough to not dwell on one outing in Spring Training too much.”

Bradley is young -- he’ll turn 22 on March 20 -- but Tampa Bay’s No. 1 prospect is a fast-rising star. He registered a Minors-best 1.83 ERA in 2021 and followed that with a 2.57 ERA and 141 punchouts between Double-A and Triple-A in ’22.

He’s getting his first taste of Major League camp this spring and did a bang-up job his first time out, needing just seven pitches to retire Boston’s heavy hitters in order and collecting a pretty cool souvenir afterward.