They’re running out of time, but the Rays haven’t given up on Jesse Crain throwing a pitch for them this season.
Acquired from the White Sox in late July while on the disabled list for a shoulder injury, Crain remains on the DL six weeks later. However, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times he threw a bullpen session today without any problems and could be cleared to pitch a simulated game against live hitters later this week.
Tampa Bay knew the risks with Crain at the time of the trade and got him at a discount because of it, so at this point any contribution from him down the stretch (and perhaps in the playoffs) is probably viewed as a bonus. Crain had a 0.74 ERA and 46/11 K/BB ratio in 37 innings for the White Sox before being shut down, making his first All-Star at age 31 with free agency right around the corner.
