Alvarado, who's allowed seven runs (six earned) across three appearances since returning from an extended absence due to personal reasons, may be used in lower-leverage situations in the short term, Marc Topkin of the Tamp Bay Times reports. "In all fairness to him, us, probably try to find a softer spot for him,'' manager Kevin Cash said. "Unfortunately we don't have many soft spots, and there's not a soft spot when you face the New York Yankees."

EDGE Analysis

Alvarado was clearly out of his element in the outing where the majority of the aforementioned damage against him was done, a forgettable appearance against the Orioles on Wednesday. The left-hander allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits, a walk and a wild pitch over just two-thirds of an inning versus Baltimore, and the meltdown was apparently enough to warrant a bit of a role shift for the time being. With Diego Castillo (shoulder) on the injured list until after the All-Star break, Emilio Pagan, who boasts a 1.10 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, is presumably the next man up for any save chances during the current four-game series against the Yankees, although Cash added that the Rays "can't run from" Alvarado for too long based on how important he is to the team's success.