Back to the Rays Report

Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Rays’ Niemann will skip start with shoulder soreness

Posted Aug 7, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Aug 7, 2010 at 06:15 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

TORONTO - The Rays not only suffered their season-high fourth consecutive loss today against the Blue Jays, but they also learned right-handed pitcher Jeff Niemann will skip his scheduled start with right shoulder soreness in tomorrow’s series finale.

Long reliever Andy Sonnanstine, activated off the DL after the Rays’ 17-11 loss at the Rogers Centre, will make his first start of the season.

Niemann said he experienced some soreness in the back of his right shoulder the day after his last start, a 6-3 win against the Twins at home Tuesday. He dismissed it as nothing to worry about at first, he said, “but then it lingered.”

He said he doesn’t think the problem is serious and expects to make his next start Saturday at home against the Orioles.

“It’s been getting significantly better each day, and it’s to the point where we’d rather take the improvements we’ve got over these past few days and not go out and push it and put ourselves back another week,” Niemann said.

Neimann is 10-3 with a 3.12 ERA, and while he was the club’s most consistent starter most of the first half of the season, his command hasn’t been as sharp in his last few starts.

Niemann said he doesn’t think that’s due to any problem with his shoulder.

“Really it’s a new thing that came out of nowhere,” he said. “I’ve been fighting the back and the side thing for a few weeks.”

Sonnanstine, whose stint on the DL may have had more to do with the Rays needing help elsewhere for a few days than the reason given (strained left hamstring), is 2-0 with a 4.22 ERA as a long-relief specialist.