Percy says he'll be ready for opener

By ROGER MOONEY
rmooney@bradenton.com
PORT CHARLOTTE — Closer Troy Percival has said all along that he will be ready to pitch when the Rays open the season April 6 in Boston. Manager Joe Maddon is beginning to think along those lines, too.

“From what I’m seeing right now,” Maddon said, “it may happen.”

Percival, who had surgery on his lower back in November, is schedule to pitch Thursday against the visiting Phillies. It would be his first outing of the spring and, providing there are no setbacks, will have him on scheduled to be ready for the season.

“No doubt in my mind,” Percival said Monday after throwing 42 pitches in a bullpen session. “I haven’t had any setbacks to say otherwise. My velocity’s getting up there, low-90’s, pretty consistent. Now my command has been pretty good.”

“We’ll see as we move this along,” Maddon said. “It looks as though he may be able to do that right now.”

Maddon has watched Percival throw and doesn’t see a pitcher who had offseason back surgery or was placed on the disabled list three times with hamstring and knee injuries and was basically shut down in September because of his back problems.

“He looks very good to me,” Maddon said. “I don’t see any kind of hesitation or restriction. So, I think he’s in really good shape.”

Despite his injuries last season, Percival did manage to save 28 games for the Rays. He has taken advantage of the Rays state-of-the-art weight room and training facility in their new spring training home in Port Charlotte.

“He is the weight room and he’s doing more work now than he’s been able to do in the last couple of years,” Maddon said. “For my, physically, he looks like he’s in as good as shape as he’s been in in a while.”

Joyce update
Right fielder Matt Joyce was glad to hear the problem with his lower right leg is tendinitis and nothing more serious.

“It’s a big relief to know that there’s no serious damage, just a minor setback and you don’t have to miss a couple of months of the season or the whole season,” Joyce said. “Just a little bit of time and by the end of the week I should be out there and getting ready for the regular season. I’m pretty fortunate that spring training is a little longer this year because of the World Baseball Classic and have a chance to play a couple of weeks before the season starts. I’m just relieved it’s not something more serious. They can treat tendinitis and should be good to go in a couple of days.”

Balfour update
The swelling has gone down on the inside of Grant Balfour’s right forearm, but the marks left by seems from the ball that struck him there Saturday could still be seen.
Balfour played catch during Monday’s pregame warmup and expects to be back on the mound Thursday.

Spring debuts
Scott Kazmir wasn’t the only Ray pitcher to make his spring debut Monday against the visiting Twins. Dan Wheeler and Joe Nelson also made their first appearances of the spring.

Wheeler allowed a run on two hits in the third inning.

Nelson allowed two hits in the fifth inning, one being a two-run homer by Delmon Young that as the difference in the Twins 4-3 victory.

NOTEWORTHY
Elliot Johnson hit his team-leading third home run of the spring in the ninth inning ... Ben Zobrist double and tripled in his first two at-bats off Kevin Slowey ... Gabe Kapler made a running catch on Delmon Young’s drive to center field in the second inning, using almost all of the 414 feet to the wall at that point of the park ... Jason Isringhausen is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday and could pitch in a game during the weekend. “I’m eager to see this,” Maddon said ... Monday’s game drew 6,161 to Charlotte Sports Park. In seven home dates, the Rays are averaging 6,161 fans.