PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — At this point two years ago, Brendan McKay was a sensation. A two-way player who was the No. 2 prospect in the Rays farm system and the No. 14 prospect in the game, according to Baseball America’s rankings.
Since then, McKay has had shoulder surgery, a flexor strain in his forearm and thoracic outlet surgery. He has thrown a total of 12.2 innings in the minors the past two seasons.
So, yeah, McKay was thrilled to walk into spring training Thursday morning, even if his arrival was delayed by COVID protocols.
“Really, really excited,” McKay said. “With 2020 and last year, there were a lot of stops and starts.
“You never want to be forgotten. Now that I’m back, I want to make as many lasting memories as I can.”
Considering all of the setbacks, the Rays have asked McKay to give up the pursuit of being a two-way player and concentrate on pitching. McKay said he had no problem with the request and is willing to take whatever path the Rays suggest to get back to the majors.
“For Brendan, he’s got to do whatever he can to stay healthy and kind of re-establish himself,” manager Kevin Cash said. “There was no bigger prospect than Brendan coming up, maybe in all of baseball — not just Rays, but all of baseball. That hasn’t just gone away.”
Another bullpen option
Count Jason Adam among the latest free-agent pitchers hoping to jumpstart his career in Tampa Bay.
The right-hander has pitched parts of four big league seasons with three different teams, including last season with the Cubs. He has a 4.71 ERA in 79 career appearances.
“Everyone knows what the Rays are known for. They’re known for making you better. They’re known for winning,” Adam said. “So, where else would I want to be?”
Adam signed a split contract for $900,000 with an additional $250,000 in possible incentives if he’s in the majors, and $300,000 if he’s in the minors. He has one minor-league option remaining.
Miscellany
Cash said left-hander Ryan Yarbrough’s fastball was in the 89-mph range during live batting practice Thursday. That would be similar to where Yarbrough was as a rookie in 2018. His fastball has been trending downward ever since and averaged 86.7 last season … Bally Sports Sun will be televising 13 Rays games this spring, beginning with Saturday’s game against the world champion Braves … Kevin Kiermaier jokingly announced he was healthy in the clubhouse Thursday morning, but Cash said he will not likely play in a spring game until Tuesday … Shane Baz teased the possibility of unveiling a new pitch — or perhaps a tweaked version of an old pitch — in his repertoire. Baz threw more than 75 percent fastball/slider last season, but also threw a curve and changeup.
