Notes: Reed back in 'pen; Mejía's strong start

The Rays’ bullpen is starting to get the band back together again, as left-hander Cody Reed returned to the active roster prior to Saturday’s game against Houston.

Reed had been dealing with left thumb weakness, which kept him out of action for the past two weeks and required a Botox injection for treatment. The issue was similar to the “weakness and numbness” Reed felt in his pitching hand last September, when he was shut down after just two appearances with Tampa Bay.

Rays manager Kevin Cash is hopeful that this won’t be an ongoing problem for Reed, but it might be too early to know for sure.

“The injury has been tough to identify,” Cash said. “Tough to find out when the injection wears off. ... I don’t know how long that lasts, how long it plays out. But look, if he can do what he did in Spring Training and feel good -- the velo was up, the strike-throwing was considerably up -- that’s the guy we want to see.”

Reed threw a clean 1-2-3 ninth inning, including a strikeout of Yuli Gurriel, in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Astros. Cash envisions Reed fitting into a variety of relief roles, either in the middle or back end of the game, and his presence as the second lefty out of the bullpen creates flexibility.

Prior to his injured list stint, Reed had allowed two runs (one earned) as well as four hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings this season.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys that we’re trying to piece together the back of the game with,” Cash said. “He looked really good in spring and hopefully, he can get back to that form.”

There will likely be less of a need to “piece together” the end of games when Pete Fairbanks (10-day IL, strained rotator cuff) returns. He threw a simulated game consisting of 25-30 pitches on Saturday, throwing to first baseman Ji-Man Choi (10-day IL, knee surgery) and catcher Kevan Smith.

Fellow reliever Collin McHugh (10-day IL, strained lower back) will throw in a sim game on Sunday.

Odds and ends

• Catcher Francisco Mejía had a stellar first month with the Rays, posting an .817 OPS in 15 games. He says his comfort level with each Rays pitcher is growing, and he has been able to “calm down” at the plate thanks to the consistent chances provided by the team.

“When you get chances, you get more results, and you get more confidence,” Mejía said. “And that’s how I’m feeling; I’m feeling more confident with the opportunities that I’ve been getting.”

• Cash knows the competitive fire can only burn so bright during intra-squad competitions at alternate training sites, which is why he’s looking forward to the start of the Minor League season this week.

“These guys, they’re going to appreciate the competition,” he said. “I mean, I would guess that it gets pretty stale at the alternate site. And look, I think [our personnel] have done a tremendous job of motivating and being creative and finding ways to get the most out of those situations and scenarios, but you can’t replicate playing games. And that’s what they’re going to get to do, so I think we’re all excited about that.”