Rays Know Jose De Leon Needs A Consistent Routine

The Rays still expect to see plenty of good things from 24-year-old Jose De Leon, the highly touted righthander they acquired from the Dodgers in January for second baseman Logan Forsythe.

They just know it might take a while.

The combination of an unimpressive early spring, a late addition to Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic team, a late-spring flexor issue in his forearm and a conservative rehab program that had De Leon work his way through extended spring training and high Class A Charlotte before joining Triple-A Durham set him back.

So when the Rays got their first look during a one-day May 29 callup to bolster a beleaguered bullpen, they knew they weren’t seeing the real De Leon.

“We knew coming in with Jose, his early part of this season has been a bit derailed by injuries,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He picked us up in a big way. The 2.2 (innings), we didn’t have another candidate down there to do that, and he did it . . . We know he’s a better pitcher than what he showed, but he did enough to help us win.’’

The De Leon the Rays traded for has the potential to be a mid- to front-of-the-rotation starter, with an impressive mix of fastball, changeup and slider, assuming he makes the requisite progress in improving fastball command and overall efficiency.

The Dodgers drafted De Leon in the 24th round in 2013 out of Southern and watched him ascend to lofty prospect status.

“This is a guy we think really highly of,’’ Cash said. “We saw him pitch enough in spring training to know when he’s on he’s a talented pitcher who can do some good things.’’

What will help him most is getting in a normal starting routine at Durham.

“I don’t think he’s been in a good routine at all,” Cash said. “A lot of inconsistencies, so (his struggles are) understandable.’’

— Marc Topkin covers the Rays for the Tampa Bay Times