PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla – For all the accolades dispensed by Tampa Bay Rays’ manager Kevin Cash this spring, his observations of right-hander Ryan Pepiot remain glowing, bright, and radiant. An integral component of a potentially strong starting rotation, Pepiot, and his fellow starters continue to reap praise from teammates and coaches. Then again, this is only March and participants retain the luxury, and perhaps the commitment, to wax positive and optimistic. Caught within a series of unlikely events, Pepiot fell into a situation, beyond his control, but within the realm of possibility. When opening day starter Shane McClanahan went down on March 22 with triceps tightness, manager Kevin Cash played his cards too close to the vest. Telling reporters that several starters now are capable of stepping in and, over the course of the next day or so, “we’ll talk about this,” he affirmed. The hint that Pepiot was selected to replace McClanahan and start the season this Friday against Colorado at home came Sunday on George Steinbrenner Field. Through his start of an eventual 3-3 deadlock with the New York Yankees, Pepiot went only two innings, allowed no hits, no runs, and struck out three hitters. Immediately, Cash pulled the 27-year-old and that was likely the plan from the commencement of activities on Sunday. Pitch only two innings of competitive baseball, must have been the directive from Cash, and then prepare for perhaps the important moment in your baseball career. The opening day assignment will now allow Pepiot to pitch on his normal four-day rest period, picking up the ball on day five and ready to face the Rockies at the end of this week. Here’s a unit with three possible starters, out of a contingent of six, coming off Tommy John surgery, and then add Pepiot to this mix. Last season, Pepiot started 26 games and pitched 130.0 innings. Overall, he missed about six starts due to an assortment of injuries. Among those seeking to recover from the trauma of a Tommy John shutdown, starters include Drew Rasmusen and Shane Baz, a pair of right-handers, and lefty McClenahan, the Rays’ original choice to open the season. Both Rasmussen and Baz returned late last season and McClenahan missed the entire campaign. Now, Rasmussen and Baz, plus right-handers Taj Bradley and Zack Littell remain on Cash’s radar screen, but Pepiot could be the “wild card.” Telling reporters this spring he feels healthy and ready to compete, Pepiot’s stature, currently in the middle of the rotation, rose dramatically and resulted from Cash’s selection to open the season. At one point last season, Pepiot achieved the fourth Immaculate Inning in franchise history and struck out three Red Sox, Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu, and Tristan Casas in the fifth inning on nine pitches Sept. 18 in Tropicana Field. Overall, the 27-year-old native out of Indianapolis, went 8-8 and a 3.60 ERA for those 26 starts. While the goal remains to be healthy and competitive, benchmarks are also present on his radar screen. “For me, it’s knowing you have 30, 32 starts,” Pepiot said this spring. “Your job is to go out and take down as many innings as you can. You want to save the bullpen every single time and keep us in the game. Also, learning how to navigate a lineup three or more times and utilize different pitches are things I learned from last season.” Pepiot said he came to camp this spring with a goal of establishing a portfolio of five pitches. A major objective, he said, is not to rely on the fastball and curve as much and not to make a delivery to the plate dependable. “Different offerings to mix and match,” he said. During the 2023-24 off-season, Pepiot arrived in west central Florida and after a celebrated trade with the Dodgers. When the Rays unloaded popular and dependable right-hander Tyler Glasnow, the Rays received Pepiot in return. Immediately, he told reporters in spring training a year ago he benefited greatly from exploring the game and the craft of pitching with Clayton Kershaw, Orel Hershiser, and other Dodger luminaries. “As a pitcher, you’re always trying to tinker with things,” he said. “You’re learning new processes and when I was in L. A. obviously, I had some great people to work with and learn. When I came over here, great guys, too, like (Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Aaron Civale, Zach Eflin). Just picking and choosing to see what they do and how they go about their business was so helpful. When you start out, you’re supposed to ask questions, and you’re supposed to learn, and how to be a professional.” As Pepiot’s learning curve continues to rise, he admits to a greater understanding in the nuances of the game, when to adjust and how to survive. That curtain is about to be lifted on Pepiot’s’ continuing evolution and education. Update on McClanahan … On Sunday, the Rays received a positive report on lefty Shane McClanahan, their potential Cy Young award candidate. After a series of imaging and MRI, the diagnosis revealed McClanahan experienced nerve irritation in the triceps area. No muscle tears were reported and the malady against Boston on March 22 is not related to the Tommy John surgery McClanhan experienced in Aug. 2023. This news was as hopeful as the Rays could receive. At this point, McClanahan is expected to miss several starts and there is no timetable for his return to a major league mound.
