Two days after their primary setup man, Joel Peralta, blew a save and one day after their former closer, Grant Balfour, recorded his 11th, the Rays turned to Brad Boxberger in the ninth inning of a three-run game Wednesday.
All this coming off a weekend when Jake McGee appeared to lock up the role.
Frankly, if the Rays prefer not to confine their top lefty to the ninth inning, I'm not sure Boxberger isn't the best choice. He has closer stuff and, after struggling with his control in previous stints in the majors, appears to have harnessed it. In 31 appearances, he has a 2.87 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
What more could you want from a closer?
Of course, McGee's numbers are even better, and Joe Maddon clearly hasn't turned the page from Balfour yet. Juan Carlos Oviedo has gotten a save since the Rays went closer by committee and also has experience in the role. Something tells me that if the Rays haven't settled on any one pitcher yet, Boxberger's save Wednesday doesn't change that.
But you shouldn't dismiss him as just a fringe candidate either. He's a contender to fill the role full-time.