Despite injury, Rays stuck with Matt Ramsey

Matt Ramsey

Matt Ramsey got the vote of confidence he needed from the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Ramsey, who suffered a season-ending arm injury pitching for Tennessee on April 9, signed with the Rays last Saturday and will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Friday.

It was a big day for Ramsey, the former Farragut High School standout, when he signed with the Rays. He was drafted in the 19th round (No. 600 overall pick).

"I was really excited, especially considering the injury and everything, and especially with it being Tommy John, that might scare a lot of teams away from you," Ramsey said Tuesday. "But I still got drafted and then they wanted to sign me knowing I would have to have surgery, so I was pretty excited about that."

Ramsey will bypass his senior season at UT, which would have been put on hold until 2013 due to the surgery and rehabilitation.

Noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery in Birmingham, Ala. Andrews is a specialist in Tommy John surgery, a procedure to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow.

Ramsey is confident he can come back.

"Especially now with the technology and everything, this surgery, the success rate on it is really high, and especially with Dr. Andrews doing it," Ramsey said. "He bangs out seven or eight of these surgeries a day, and people travel from all around the world to come to him just to get this surgery, so that's definitely something that's reassuring, the fact that my baseball career will be on the right track here in about a year or so."

Ramsey, who played outfield, catcher, and pitched for Tennessee, said the Rays signed him as a pitcher.

"I like catching, outfield, pitching, pretty much all the same, but I've been pitching my whole life, a lot longer than I have been playing any other position," Ramsey said. "It doesn't really matter to me (what position). I'm just happy to be able to do whatever."

Last season, Ramsey was 0-1 with a 0.96 ERA in 9 innings. He hit .229 in 33 games, 27 as a starter, mostly at catcher.

Ramsey, whose fastball has been clocked in the low 90s, was injured in the second inning of a 2-1 loss to South Carolina at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. It was his second start of the season.

When he left the mound, Ramsey knew the injury was serious.

"It felt like it, that's for sure," Ramsey said.

As a sophomore, Ramsey was UT's closer and posted a 4-2 record and 4.29 ERA in 35 innings. He hit .323 with six homers and 19 RBIs in 30 games (14 starts).

Ramsey said he figured his pro options would be limited if he returned for his final year at UT.

"I had thought about it (coming back to UT), but since the surgery was definite, that kind of put me pretty much with my back against the wall in terms of professional baseball because I would have to sit out next season at Tennessee anyway, and then I'd be like a 23- or 24-year-old senior, and there's not much calling for somebody that old just to start their professional career in baseball," Ramsey said.

Dave Link is a freelance contributor.