Call to the pen
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Rays’ Jeremy Hellickson Heading to the DL

By Justin Hunter

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Last year’s surprise story out of Tampa last year was Jeremy Hellickson. Most thought he should have been in the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young conversation (He won the ROY). Now, the Rays’ starter is heading to the 15-day disabled list.

According to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Hellickson is hitting the DL with shoulder fatigue. Righty Chris

Archer was called up to fill the roster spot and is expected to make his Major League debut today.

Topkin went on to say that Hellickson wasn’t feeling any pain and only expects to miss two starts. He was feeling some fatigue and weakness in the shoulder so the team made the move as a precaution.  Hellickson has started 13 games this year for Tampa Bay before his DL stint.

Hellickson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 draft.  He made his Major League debut with Tampa on August 2, 2010.  It wasn’t until last season though that he saw real action.  Last season, Hellickson started 29 games and pitched 189 innings.  He put up a 2.95 ERA and had 117 strikeout.  Compared with Justin Verlander‘s season, maybe Hellickson never had a shot at the Cy Young, but settling for ROY is a good consolation prize.

So far this season, Hellickson is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA.  He’s tossed 78 1/3 innings and has actually improved his strikeout ratio.  He has 52 strikeouts.  Over the course of the next two weeks, the Rays face the Nationals, the Phillies, the Royals, the Tigers, and the Yankees.  Hellickson could return just before the All-Star break, but despite the team’s plan to have him miss just two starts, they may hold him back until after the break.

Chris Archer, who will be called up from Triple-A, has a 4.81 ERA with Durham.  He’s spent seven seasons in the minors, so his path to the Majors has taken longer than most. In his minor league career, Archer is 39-40 with a 3.89 ERA.  Despite his lengthy service time in the minors, Archer is just 23 years old.  He was drafted at 17 out of high school.

For more on the Rays, be sure to check out Rays Colored Glasses. 

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