The Rays optioned Jesse Scholtens to Triple-A Durham on Thursday, ending a major league stay that lasted just 24 hours after he was recalled from the minors the day before. Scholtens had been brought up to give Tampa Bay an extra bullpen arm while Drew Rasmussen was away on paternity leave.
Scholtens made the move count while he was here. The 32-year-old worked 4.2 shutout innings against the Cubs on Wednesday, giving the Rays a useful bridge in a short-handed stretch before the club sent him back down. Rasmussen was suggested to rejoin the team to start against the Yankees on Friday, which appears to push the rotation and bullpen picture back toward normal after the brief shuffle.
That makes Scholtens' stay a quick detour rather than a lasting audition. He was originally in Triple-A Durham when the Rays needed another arm, and his major league appearance was tied directly to Rasmussen's absence. Now the club is moving again as the paternity leave ends and Friday's start against New York comes into view.
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The odd part is how much Scholtens packed into so little time. He pitched well enough to matter, then was gone before the club could even settle into the version of the staff that brought him up in the first place. For Tampa Bay, the next step is simple: get Rasmussen back, reset the pitching plan, and see whether the brief depth move was enough to carry them through the gap.
