The Tampa Bay Rays had a plan for pitching prospect Jeremy Hellickson heading into the 2010 season.
Assuming the Rays were in playoff contention, and the starting rotation was moderately healthy, Hellickson was going to be used in a way very similar to the way that the Rays used David Price as a rookie in 2008 — as a versatile weapon out of the bullpen.
Then, starting pitchers Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis got hurt, and Hellickson was called up to the big club early for a huge start on Aug. 2 against the Twins.
The 23-year-old rookie from Iowa hasn’t looked back since.
Hellickson is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA through his first three starts in the big leagues, with a miniscule WHIP of 0.60. He’s gone at least six innings in each of his three outings, and went seven in each of the first two.
Hellickson was already being compared to Roy Oswalt after his second start, in which he threw seven three-hit, shutout innings against the Tigers on the road.
Arguably the best pitcher in baseball over the past 10 days, Hellickson will be receiving a demotion to the bullpen soon, as Niemann and Davis are scheduled to return this week, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
But that might not be a bad thing for Hellickson, who has already pitched over 137 innings between Triple-A Durham and Tampa Bay in 2010 — Hellickson’s career high as a professional is 152 innings in 2008.
Now that Rays manager Joe Maddon knows what he can get from the 2005 fourth-round pick, his options will be open come September and October — much like they were when he had Price in the bullpen in 2008.
It worked out for Price. The No. 1 overall pick in 2007 had his struggles in his first full season in 2009, but has become one of the best pitchers in the American League in 2010 with a league-leading 15 wins.
The Rays look to be paving the same path for success for Hellickson. And if Tampa Bay suffers another injury to a starting pitcher, Hellickson should be more than capable of filling in over the final few weeks.
How and when Hellickson will be used for the remainder of the season is still up in the air. But one thing is certain: Jeremy Hellickson will be in the Rays’ rotation in April, 2011.
