Joyce could miss several more days

Posted Mar 18, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Mar 18, 2010 at 06:20 PM

TAMPA - It may be difficult for outfielder Matt Joyce to win a spot on the Rays opening-day roster if he can’t get on the field. He may not get on the field for a Grapefruit League game until late next week, manager Joe Maddon said tonight.

Joyce, an Armwood HIgh graduate, was scratched from a split-squad game on March 11 because of a strained right (throwing) elbow and hasn’t appeared in a major league game since. He has batted the last couple of days in minor league games.

“By this weekend, he’s going to be doing these other drills that (trainer) Ronnie (Porterfield) likes to do (before throwing),” Maddon said. “It will be real close to actually throwing.
... I would say by the beginning of next week, he’ll probably be throwing in some form on the field.”

Asked if that means Joyce won’t get into a game until the end of next week, Maddon said, “Could be. ... To get him at-bats with us as a DH is tough because we only have so many DH at-bats to give here, and that’s why it’s important he gets those other at-bats in the minor league level and not suck up the major league at-bats.”

Maddon said Joyce, who is hitting .417 in Grapefruit League play after 12 at-bats, was “swinging the bat well” and the goal is to keep him in that rhythm.

The 25-year-old Tampa native is in contention for a share of the right field job and for one of the final spots on the bench. He spent most of last year at Triple-A Durham, appearing in 11 games for the Rays.

Also from the pre-game: Maddon confirmed He kept starting pitcher Matt Garza back from tonight’s game against the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field so the reigning AL East and world champions wouldn’t get an extra look at the right-hander.

Garza pitched in a minor league game in Port Charlotte and allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked none while throwing 74 pitches.

- Tony Fabrizio