Kuzul

The Tampa Bay Rays may unveil another one of their stud pitching prospects on Sunday.

Thursday’s doubleheader against the Twins has shortened the Rays rotation, and long reliever/spot starter Andy Sonnanstine has been battling illness, leaving the team with no choice but to consider some options in the minor leagues.

Alex Cobb was to start for AAA Durham on Friday night, but was scratched from his start.

This has led to speculation that he could be called up to make his Major League debut.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has been tight lipped about what the team plans to do.

“I just can’t spill the beans yet,” Maddon said before Friday’s game.

Complicating the matter further is the pinkie injury of infielder Sean Rodriguez, and the imminent return of 3B Evan Longoria from the disabled list. 

I’m betting that Alex Cobb will be on the hill Sunday afternoon for the Rays, as Sonnanstine was warming in the bullpen during the 7th inning of the Rays 8-5 loss to the Angels.

Sonnanstine never entered the game, but this still may have tipped the Rays hand.

We’ll have to wait and see what the Rays do, but the team will definitely be making some roster moves in the coming days.

The 23 year old right-hander Cobb was a fourth round draft pick in 2006, and has had tremendous success at every minor league stop.

 At Durham so far in 2011, Cobb is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He also has a tidy WHIP of 1.04 and 29 strikeouts in just 22 innings. 

If called up, it may be more than just a spot start for Cobb. With rookie left-hander Jake McGee struggling and showing erratic velocity, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cobb get an extended look at the big league level in the bullpen.

Cobb, who was ranked as the Rays 16th best prospect by Baseball America, features a low 90’s fastball amongst his four pitches.

He also has a plus changeup, an above-average curveball, and a decent slider.

The development of Cobb, Alex Torres, Matt Moore and Chris Archer have left the Rays with a stockpile of near ML ready starting pitching. Depending on how the season goes, several of these pitchers may find themselves pitching in the Majors very soon.

James Shields or Jeff Niemann could be dealt to get another bat to protect Evan Longoria, leaving the Rays with several young arms to plug into the rotation.

It is a very good scenario for the Rays, who have a lot of options going forward.

I expect to see Cobb on the bump Sunday at Tropicana Field, but if not then, it shouldn’t be long before he is facing big league hitters.

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Tampa Bay Rays 3B Evan Longoria is expected to return from an oblique injury sometime during the Rays‘ next home stand (April 29-May 5).

This inevitably means that somebody on the current 25-man roster is going to be without a spot. So who should be the man to go? You could make strong cases for Casey Kotchman, Dan Johnson, and Elliot Johnson.

But the player to go should be Felipe Lopez.

It has nothing to do with statistics or his play on the field, but it has everything to do with team chemistry and Lopez’s attitude.

He just isn’t getting it.

Rays’ manager Joe Maddon pulled Lopez from Friday’s game with the Blue Jays for his lack of effort. For the second time this week, Lopez has had to be reprimanded for not running hard to first base.

That is one time too many for a player who has been in the big leagues since 2001. We aren’t talking about a rookie player who needs a little coaching on how to play the game of baseball the right way.

Lopez has been with eight organizations in his 11-year career. Certainly somebody along the way has told him that you always run out a ground ball.

Then again, perhaps his lack of hustle is the reason why he hasn’t stuck with a team. In fact, he was released from the Cardinals last season due in large part because he was late to a game.

Part of the success of the Rays in recent years has been the team’s extraordinary team chemistry and willingness to give maximum effort for nine innings. Game after game.

Lopez just doesn’t fit that mold.

This is the same player who flipped his bat towards the mound after hitting a home run against the White Sox a few weeks ago. He drew Maddon’s ire then as well.

No player should ever try and show up the opposing pitcher. But a player with 90 career home runs in 4,768 plate appearances? Come on.

Lopez has done an admirable job as the primary clean-up hitter in the absence of Longoria and the now retired Manny Ramirez. He deserves a certain amount of credit for that.

Still, if it were not for Sean Rodriguez’s mystifying inability to hit right-handed pitching, you have to wonder if Lopez would even be playing much at all.

The Rays have many hurdles to overcome if they want to contend in 2011. They can’t afford to have a player on the team who doesn’t believe in giving 100 percent.

Sean Rodriguez and Elliot Johnson can do a more than adequate job as the utility infielders.

Lopez needs to go. The team will be better off without him.

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