Tampa Bay shifts Steven Matz to relief role following struggles in rotation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Rays are making a change to their pitching staff, moving veteran left-hander Steven Matz from the starting rotation to the bullpen after a pair of disappointing outings that saw his season ERA rise to 5.48.
The move was announced Saturday after Matz struggled in consecutive starts, including a difficult performance against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. The 35-year-old allowed five runs on six hits, including two home runs, in just 1 2/3 innings during Tampa Bay’s 8-0 loss. Matz threw 53 pitches before manager Kevin Cash elected to remove him from the game. Cash was particularly concerned with a drop in the velocity of Matz’s fastball, which averaged 92 mph compared to his season average of 93.3 mph.
Matz, who is 4-3 on the season, has struggled to find consistency in recent weeks. Opposing hitters have posted significantly stronger numbers against him during his last several appearances, while his strikeout rate has declined and hard-contact rates have increased.
The Rays had hoped Matz could provide stability in the middle of the rotation after joining the club, but his recent struggles have forced the organization to reconsider his role. Cash indicated that the bullpen move will allow Matz to focus on shorter outings while the team evaluates its starting-pitching options moving forward.
The Tampa Bay Rays are making a change to their pitching staff, moving veteran left-hander Steven Matz from the starting rotation to the bullpen after a pair of disappointing outings that saw his season ERA rise to 5.48.
The move was announced Saturday after Matz struggled in consecutive starts, including a difficult performance against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. The 35-year-old allowed five runs on six hits, including two home runs, in just 1 2/3 innings during Tampa Bay’s 8-0 loss. Matz threw 53 pitches before manager Kevin Cash elected to remove him from the game. Cash was particularly concerned with a drop in the velocity of Matz’s fastball, which averaged 92 mph compared to his season average of 93.3 mph.
Matz, who is 4-3 on the season, has struggled to find consistency in recent weeks. Opposing hitters have posted significantly stronger numbers against him during his last several appearances, while his strikeout rate has declined and hard-contact rates have increased.
The Rays had hoped Matz could provide stability in the middle of the rotation after joining the club, but his recent struggles have forced the organization to reconsider his role. Cash indicated that the bullpen move will allow Matz to focus on shorter outings while the team evaluates its starting-pitching options moving forward.
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