The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled right-hander Jake Odorizzi from Triple-A to take the hill in Thursday's series finale against the Angels, the team has announced. Left-hander Jeff Beliveau has been optioned back to Double-A to make room for Odorizzi on the roster.
Rays recall RHP Jake Odorizzi for Thursday start
The right-hander will take the injured Matt Moore’s spot in the rotation for Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Angels.
Jared Wickerham
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Odorizzi, 23, has made three spot starts for the Rays this season, but hasn't been up for a spell since mid-June. While the right-hander's start on Thursday is technically coming in the rotation spot of Matt Moore -- who is still on the DL with elbow soreness -- he may eventually become the club's (temporary?) alternative to the struggling Jeremy Hellickson, whom the Rays demoted to Single-A earlier in the week.
Acquired in the Wil Myers/James Shields deal over the winter, Odorizzi has pitched very well in 22 starts at Triple-A Durham this season. The right-hander owns a 3.33 earned-run average and a strikeout rate of exactly a batter per frame in 124⅓ innings on the year.
He hasn’t been able to translate that success to the big leagues just yet -- allowing 10 runs in 14⅔ in his three MLB starts -- but the Rays obviously believe he’ll do so soon enough. An urban legend among Angels fans (like myself) is that the team is unable to hit young pitchers they’ve never seen before, so perhaps Odorizzi will get his first quality start Thursday.
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