Zack Littell

Littell was bailed out in the second; he departed with the bases loaded and one out, only for Antonio Menendez to immediately induce a double play ball. Littell then came back out for the third and gave up a two-run homer before leaving with two outs. Littell's velocity today was down about two mph from last season. He's probably the sixth-best bet of the Rays' six starters, but it'd still be a surprise if he gets left out of the team's initial rotation.

The Rays entered the offseason with at least seven rotation-caliber arms on the roster. Each of Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Pepiot has had success in a big league rotation, though injuries have hobbled several of that group in recent years. Tampa Bay already thinned out…

The Rays entered the offseason with at least seven rotation-caliber arms on the roster. Each of Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Pepiot has had success in a big league rotation, though injuries have hobbled several of that group in recent years. Tampa Bay already thinned out…

Littell pitched two innings and allowed one run on Feb. 24, but the game was rained out afterwards and all of the stats were wiped. He'd since gotten his work in on the side. Littell would seem to pretty clearly have the least upside of the Rays' six starters, but it'd be a surprise if he's not included in the team's initial rotation. Perhaps he'll be bumped into middle relief sometime later in the season.