Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Gay Marriage Vote Puts Heat On Christie
J.P. Howell has carried the Tampa Bay Rays through any number of tight situations the past two seasons, but it appears all that work may have taken a toll on his diminutive frame. Howell has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game, with the company line from the team being that the lefty's strength was being preserved for the games that count. Now it looks like Howell might not be around for a while even then, as the Rays have pulled the plug on Howell's scheduled debut this weekend and left his status up in the air.
"If we don't get him going soon, it could possibly jeopardize the beginning of the season,'' manager Joe Maddon told reporters Friday.
Losing Howell would be a blow for the Rays, who have come to rely on him in a variety of relief roles. He served as Tampa Bay's de facto closer for much of last season, racking up 17 saves while posting a 7-5 record and 2.84 ERA. His performance tailed off late in the season, perhaps indicative of fatigue in a pitcher who is very generously listed at 6-feet, 180 pounds.
Maddon said Friday that tests revealed some weakness in Howell's shoulder when he arrived in camp this spring, and the manager took a rather thinly veiled shot at whatever workout program the reliever followed over the winter.
"At the end of last season, he left in good shape, so it's not from an injury,'' Maddon said. "Probably had something to do maybe with his offseason conditioning program, maybe some things that he did not do that he had done the year before, something like that.''With Rafael Soriano installed as the closer this year, Howell will slide back into the kind of setup role that allowed him to find so much success during the Rays' 2008 run to the World Series. He did quite a bit of work that year, 89 1/3 innings in 64 appearances, and perhaps what's happening now is an indication his body never fully recovered.
Defiant GOP Candidate Could Face Problems Ahead
Washington Gay Marriage Legislation Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire
House GOP Offers Deal In Big Fight
How Long Will Santorum's Surge Last?
Obama Budget Signals Shift From Austerity Measures To Campaign Promises
Officials Confirm: Prescription Drugs Found In Whitney Houston's Room
Feds Recover Record Number Of Health Care Fraud Judgments
1 In 8 Voter Registrations Contain Errors
U.S. Green-Lights Google's Massive $12.5 Billion Purchase
Syrian Rebels Fight Off Attack On Key Town
WATCH: Fox News Pundit's Disturbing Comments About Rape
Republicans Slam Obama Birth Control Rule, Ignoring State Contraception Mandates
Monsanto Guilty Of Chemical Poisoning Of French Farmer
Topless Protesters Target 'Gas Gangsters'
WATCH: 25 Million Tons Of Japan Tsunami Debris Headed Directly Our Way
Pacifist Activists Deride Bishops Over Birth Control Coverage
WATCH: Anderson Cooper's Hilarious Adventures With Adele
WATCH: Bill Maher Rips GOP Concept Of 'Elites'
Pressure Mounts On Mortgage Giants To Pursue Principal Reductions
Huff TV: WATCH: Arianna Weighs In On Tony Bennett's Call To Legalize Drugs
Downgraded: Moody's Cuts Credit Ratings Of Italy, Portugal And Spain
Wall Street Fears Volcker Rule Will Force Testosterone Monitoring
