Richards worked up to 49 pitches over 2.1 innings in an appearance for Triple-A Durham on Saturday and could be in the midst of being groomed for a big-league role, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Richards who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Marlins, logged just one inning in his first outing for the Bulls last Tuesday. However, he saw an appreciable bump in workload Saturday while allowing one earned run on three hits and a walk and he also struck out four. The right-hander could potentially fill a variety of roles for the Rays if he's promoted, including long reliever, opener, or even traditional starter.