Rays' Andrew Kittredge Hopes IL Stint is Minimal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Andrew Kittredge is a critical piece in the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen, but some lower back tightness has sent him to the injured list, a place he hates to me.

He's hoping it's a short stay.

Kittredge was placed in the 15-day injured list on Sunday. He hadn't pitched since the previous Monday (May 16) and is eligible to return from the list next Friday, on June 3. In his mind, he'll be amped back up and ready to go by then.

"I think we were thinking we could avoid the IL, but the longer it got, I threw a bullpen on Sunday in Baltimore, and it actually went pretty well, but this was something we didn't want to have linger,'' Kittredge said Tuesday night. "I think this is more precautionary than anything.

"Everything is pointing to a minimal stay on the IL. I'm pretty optimistic that should be it.''

Kittredge said he has felt great all year until last Sunday in Baltimore. He had throw a lot prior to that — four outings in five days — and manager Kevin Cash intentionally didn't go to him at the end of the Detroit series or the beginning of the series at Baltimore. He warmed up fine in pregame workouts Sunday, but felt some tightness in his lower back.

"The day after I pitched, I felt really good. I was about to hop up on the mound and throw six, eight pitches like I usually do, but it just didn't feel right,'' Kittredge said. "I thought, let's not make it worse, but I still made my self available. But throughout the day, it got a little worse.

"It's just tightness mostly. In the bullpen, it felt pretty good, it felt very, very minor. Like I said, hopefully a couple days of staying off it and not really cranking up too much should do me good.''

Cash said that Kittredge will be shut down completely for a few days to let things calm down. 

“I hope (it’s minimal), but it’s still kind of early to tell,” Cash said. “We’ve shut him down from too much activity. We won’t have that good a sense until he ramps back up.”

Kittredge hopes that will be soon. He hates not being able to help out in the Rays' tight-knit bullpen, especially after having to watch two tight extra-inning losses in Baltimore over the weekend.

So he'll take it easy, then get ready to be back out there.

"A lot of it is just trying to not do to much, not irritate it too much,'' Kitredge said. "Our training staff is second to none in my opinion. I'll take it day-by-day and see how it feels. It's kind of up in the air, once I resume throwing. Hopefully it's in a day or two, but we'll see. It's never good being on the injured list, but better now than in August or September. It's good that we're staying on top of it.''

Kittredge will miss the Rays' big four-game series with the New York Yankees this weekend at Tropicana Field, plus their four-game trip to Texas next week to take on the Rangers. 

His projected return date of June 3 coincides with the start of a six-game homestand against the the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The Rays are currently 25-17, in second place in the American League East behind the Yankees, 4 1/2 games out.