Rays notes: Drew Smyly uncertain when his season will end

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Drew Smyly stood straight with the end to his uncommon year likely near. The questions directed at him near his locker in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse were familiar. The answer remains unknown.

Smyly could be shut down soon, given that he has pitched a career-high 147 innings this season, eclipsing the 99 1/3 he threw in 2012. Long ago, he passed the 76 he threw last year, and it's uncertain if his appearance Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field will be his final active moment in a wild 2014 for him.

"There's no timeline," Smyly said. "It's just one start at a time. We'll talk more on Sunday. But as of now -- it's just one game at a time."

Smyly, of course, was part of the three-way deal on July 31 that sent former Rays ace David Price to the Detroit Tigers, Smyly's former team. A transition for the 25-year-old native of Little Rock, Ark., has gone better than expected, with him producing a 3-1 record with a 1.50 ERA in five August starts. In his most-recent appearance Sunday, during which he continued his momentum, he allowed two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Overall, he's 9-10 with a 3.31 ERA and 125 strikeouts this season.

"It's just cautionary for the future," Smyly said of the uncertainty concerning his future. "But if anything, I think it just kind of motivates you more. You want to finish the season on a good note. You know it's near."

Rays manager Joe Maddon said any move to end Smyly's season early would be with preserving the young pitcher's health in mind. Caution could become the strategy of choice.

"You want to add on (to his innings total), but you don't want to heap on too much so next year can be impacted negatively," Maddon said. "But you want to add on enough so that you can build on that again next year to the point where this guy becomes that 200-inning-plus kind of a horse that we think he will be."

GELTZ ENCOURAGED BY HIGH-LEVERAGE MOMENTS

Reliever Steven Geltz, promoted from Triple-A Durham on Monday, has received an early lesson in the value of a short-term memory in the majors.

First, he allowed a single to the Red Sox's Yoenis Cespedes on Monday that turned the Rays' 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning into a 3-all tie. Then he surrendered a game-deciding solo home run Thursday against Colby Rasmus in the Toronto Blue Jays' 1-0 victory in 10 innings.

Entering Friday, the right-hander was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 2 1/3 innings with the Rays.

"As pitcher and especially a reliever, you've got to learn to have a short-term memory," Geltz said about Thursday's mistake. "You can't dwell on that stuff. It's going to happen. You throw strikes, you get hit. I made a bad pitch, and he hit it."

Still, Maddon's decision to use Geltz in high-leverage situations reveals the manager's trust in the young pitcher. Maddon also spoke highly of reliever Jeff Beliveau, who entered Friday with a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 19 appearances this season.

"I feel strongly about both of those guys (Geltz and Beliveau)," Maddon said. "They're going to be really good. Remember, at the beginning of the year, I was talking that same way about (reliever Brad) Boxberger."

ORIOLES' FINAL VISIT

The Orioles have enjoyed success against many opponents this season in their rise to first place in the American League East. Make Tampa Bay among the group, particularly at Tropicana Field.

Entering Friday, the Rays were 5-11 in the season series against the Orioles. They were just 1-5 at home in those meetings.

Consider the change from last year, when the Rays clinched an AL wild-card spot. Then, Tampa Bay went 13-6 against Baltimore and claimed 11 of the final 13 games.

"They've earned the right to be in the situation that they're in right now," Maddon said.

WORTH NOTING

--- Tim Burke, the reigning World Long Drive champion, threw out a 92-mph ceremonial first pitch Friday at Tropicana Field. A former pitcher at the University of Miami, the Orlando native won the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship last year with a record 427-yard drive. He'll compete again at the World Long Drive Championship from Sept. 25-27 in Mesquite, Nevada.

"It was actually a little nerve-wracking, which I wasn't expecting," said Burke, a right-hander. "But my pitching instincts came back."

And his plans to defend his long-drive title?

"This is the first year I can actually say I've trained harder than I've ever trained for anything in my life," he said. "I trained a lot last year, but nothing like this year. So I definitely want to go in there and trust the process."

--- Many Rays players, including third baseman Evan Longoria, were seen wearing Kevin Kiermaier "Outlaw" T-shirts during their stretch session late Friday afternoon. The T-shirts were given to fans who purchased a Tampa Bay Times Ticket tandem Friday. Kiermaier, a Rays outfielder, has been given the nickname "outlaw."

--- The Rays' loss Thursday guaranteed that they'll finish with a losing record at home for the first time since 2007, when they closed 37-44. They opened Friday with a 31-41 record at Tropicana Field.

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.