PORT CHARLOTTE (620 WDAE) -- The second half of Rays pitchers took their turn through the first bullpen of Spring Training Thursday, with pitchers such as Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi throwing.
A pair of right-handers coming off injuries in 2017 also threw for the first time this spring, as Nathan Eovaldi and Jose De Leon had bullpen sessions.
De Leon arrived in camp sporting the same dyed blonde look that he and his teammates on team Puerto Rico from last year's World Baseball Classic had.
"Ask Yadier Molina," De Leon laughed when asked about the look, explaining that the Cardinals catcher had an event to raise funds to continue with relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria decimated the island in late September.
But De Leon, who spent three different stint last year on the disabled list with forearm tightness, feels ready to go.
"I feel very good. I had a good offseason," the right-hander said. "I feel throwing the ball, it's way different than last year. It's a good thing for me to feel that way, because I'm feeling back like myself, so that's a good sign."
Meanwhile, Eovaldi had a normal offseason after finishing up a rehab assignment at the end of 2017 and said he felt great heading into the spring.
"I'm healthy, ready to go 100 percent," the 28-year-old said. "I was ready to go at the end of the year last year so this offseason was nice. I was able to treat it like any other offseason.
Only two pitchers have not thrown a bullpen session since the start of Spring Training. Closer Alex Colome has yet to get on the mound, though Cash says that was planned from the beginning.
"We'll pace him," Cash said. "We want to manage his workload, especially given how his workload was so aggressive coming out of the gate last year."
Reliever Sergio Romo, who was officially signed Tuesday, has also not pitched, but he played for Jalisco in the Mexican League this winter as a free agent for the second straight year.
Click to listen to comments from Cash, De Leon and Eovaldi below!
RAMOS EXCITED FOR HEALTHY SEASON -- After missing the first half of 2017 recovering from a torn ACL, catcher Wilson Ramos had a healthy offseason, and
"Now it's time for me to show what I can do on the field," Ramos said. "This organization, they gave me a big opportunity. They want me to show what I can do, and I want to do that."
Ramos also arrived in camp sporting a new tattoo of -- naturally -- a buffalo, his nickname.
"It took like two and a half hours," the catcher laughed. "The guy who made it is really good at it, and now I've got my ink, so I'm very excited for it.
Click below to listen to the entire conversation.
ODORIZZI FEELS GOOD WITH NEW ROUTINE, ANOTHER ARBITRATION WIN -- After having to travel to Arizona for his arbitration case with the Rays Monday, pitcher Jake Odorizzi threw his first bullpen of the Spring Thursday. He said before the workout that he and pitching coach Kyle Snyder had worked out an easier plan for him because of all the travel.
"It's not really going to be a full bullpen today, just considering my travel schedule recently and not being able to get off the mound consistently," Odorizzi said. "It'll just be a light bullpen for me and then get back into it once I get a few more days of getting back to baseball stuff."
The 27-year-old right-hander also implemented a new piece into his offseason regimen, taking up Pilates.
"I've heard a lot of good things about it," he said. "Just for the fact of strength, flexibility and everything kind of tied into one. So I was doing that two times a week."
Odorizzi also learned after practice Thursday that for a second straight year, he had beaten the Rays in arbitration and will earn $6.3 million for 2018. The Rays had offered him $6.05 million.
Click below to listen to the entire conversation.
KIERMAIER REPORTS TO CAMP -- The number of players still not in camp was reduced by a pair Thursday, as outfielder Kevin Kiermaier arrived to work out and track pitches on his first day.
Minor-league 1B/OF Joe McCarthy also arrived in Port Charlotte Thursday, meaning the only position players still yet to report are SS Adeiny Hechaverria, INF Brad Miller, OF Denard Span, minor-league INF Andrew Velazquez and minor-league OF Justin Williams.
Catcher Jesus Sucre has also yet to report to camp due to visa issues, but Cash said the team expects him to be in Port Charlotte Friday morning.