How this Rays reliever-turned-starter is adjusting

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- When the Rays traded for starter Aaron Civale last week, it was reasonable to think at the time they would have him fill the spot in their rotation occupied by Zack Littell. After all, Littell was claimed off waivers in May and hadn’t really been a full-time starting pitcher since he was in the Minors five years ago.

Then the Rays optioned Taj Bradley to Triple-A Durham, a move that doubled as a reset for the rookie right-hander and a vote of confidence in Littell. And Littell, 27, is rewarding Tampa Bay’s faith in him by continuing to grow as a sort of emergency starter.

“I think Taj is going to pitch in the Major Leagues for a very long time. There’s no denying that his stuff is just unbelievable,” Littell said last week. “When we traded for a guy and I was told I was going to stay in the rotation, it was a ton of confidence.”

In four outings since his first “real” start against Texas on July 19, including one two-inning relief outing after his turn in the rotation was skipped, Littell has posted a 1.65 ERA with 12 strikeouts and just one walk in 16 1/3 innings. He has earned wins in his last two starts: a five-inning, two-run outing in Houston on July 30 and a scoreless six-inning appearance in Detroit on Friday.

“How can we not be as encouraged as possible with what he’s done in three starts now?” manager Kevin Cash told reporters after his last start. “… A lot that we like and want to continue that pace, that path.”

Littell’s emergence seemed like a nice little story at first, but it might be critical as the Rays deal with injuries to aces Shane McClanahan (receiving additional opinions on his left forearm tightness) and Tyler Glasnow (awaiting further word on the back spasms that kept him from pitching against the Tigers). The Rays already lost young starter Shane Baz last year, plus starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen earlier this season.

Coincidentally, Littell seems to be following the path laid out by Rasmussen and Springs, who found success in the transition from relief roles to starting jobs while hitting their stride with the Rays the past two years. Like so many pitchers before him, Littell credited the Rays for helping him improve and enhancing his confidence by making him feel like he belongs.

“Super grateful for the opportunity, and hopefully can keep running with it,” Littell said.

There have been a few tweaks on the mound, of course. Look at where Littell stood on the mound in his last appearance before going on the injured list in May, where he stood when he came back from the IL and where he’s been in his past two starts (July 30 and Aug. 4). He’s moved all the way to the first-base side of the rubber. He also added a sweeper last month, giving him another weapon with his fastball, slider and splitter.

“Just mixing. I tend to get a little bit fastball heavy. I’ve done that (for) years and years, but it’s probably more of an ego thing,” he said. “Mixing evenly is really what I’m after.”

Littell is also limiting walks better than ever, having issued a free pass to only three of the 138 batters he’s faced since joining the Rays. Asked how he’s done that, Littell said he constantly reminds himself to focus on trust over perfect execution and repeated a familiar refrain among Rays pitching acquisitions.

“They’re very big on just instilling the confidence of, like, throwing your stuff right down the middle,” he said. “Your stuff’s good enough to play regardless.”

Lately, it has been. There have been some challenging adjustments, like the full-body soreness Littell felt after throwing 82 pitches in five innings against Houston. He’s asked Glasnow and Zach Eflin about their between-starts routines, trying to find one of his own.

The biggest challenge for the reliever-turned-starter?

“It’s weird showing up every day and not having to be ready [to pitch] that night,” Littell said, smiling.