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| James Shields has been officially announced as the Rays' Opening Day starter, according to the St. Petersburg Times' Marc Topkin. |
Our View: No surprise here, as Shields was expected to get the first call among the Rays' young staff. Shields would seem to be a nice candidate to bounce back this season after a subpar 2009.
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| The St. Petersburg Times reports that while it's not official, James Shields is expected to start Tampa's season opener on April 6 against the Orioles. |
Our View: Shields is coming off a somewhat disappointing season in which he posted his first 4.00+ ERA (4.14) in the last three campaigns and won only 11 games. However, his peripherals were still strong, so with a little more luck in 2010, he could rebound.
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| James Shields struck out eight Orioles in eight innings on Wednesday night, as Tampa Bay won 5-3 at home. |
Our View: This means Shields will finish the season 11-12 with a 4.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in a career-high 219.2 innings.
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| James Shields was rocked for five earned runs on seven hits over seven innings in Friday's 8-3 loss at Texas. He had two walks with seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields fell to 10-12 following his dismal performance from the hill. He allowed four or more earned runs in four of his last five starts.
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| James Shields gave up four earned runs on nine hits over six innings in Friday's 11-4 win over the Jays at Tropicana Field. He had one walk and fired seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields improved his record to 10-11. He has collected three wins over his last five starts.
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| James Shields had a quality outing on Sunday, but the Rays bats couldn't solve Jon Lester. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks over six innings but was handed his 11th loss of the season as the Rays fell 4-0 to the Red Sox. |
Our View: Sheilds owns a 9-11 record despite pitching well for the majority of the season. He's been roughed up bit in his last three outings though and has seen his ERA climb over 4.00 for the first time since April.
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| James Shields was mauled for six earned runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Tigers at Tropicana Field. He had one walk with five strikeouts, and gave up two homers. |
Our View: The game was tied at 6-6 when Shields exited, so he ends the night with a no-decision rather than a loss for his poor performance. He is capable of solid production, but remains inconsistent among fantasy pitchers.
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| James Shields picked up his ninth win of the season on Monday afternoon as the Rays beat up on the Tigers by a score of 11-7. Shields went seven innings and allowed four runs on ten hits while walking one and striking out six. |
Our View: Not the most dominating performance of his career, but Shields was good enough today. If not for Carlos Guillen, who had two homers and four RBI, Shields would have pitched a gem. He hasn't been nearly as good this year as many expected, but he is still a quality starter, especially if the offense gives him support like they did today.
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| James Shields gave up three earned runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings in Tuesday's 7-3 win at Toronto. He had two walks and five strikeouts, and surrendered two homers. |
Our View: Shields did not have a solid outing, but his teammates provided enough run support for him to collect his eighth win of 2009. He snapped a two-game losing streak, and is 2-3 over five starts this month.
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| James Shields was charged with four runs (only one earned) on seven hits over 5.2 innings in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Tropicana Field. He had two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields falls to 7-10, and has taken a loss in four of his last five starts. He still holds a 3.81 ERA, and hopefully he will have better luck for the stretch run of the season.
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| James Shields was roughed up for five earned runs on eight hits over eight innings in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Jays at Tropicana Field. He had no walks and seven strikeouts, and was tagged for two homers. |
Our View: Shields falls to 7-9, and has taken a loss in three of his last four starts. He still holds a decent 3.88 ERA for the season.
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| James Shields didn't have his best stuff on Saturday, but it was good enough for the win. He allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and three walks over 5.1 innings in the Rays' 10-4 win over the Mariners. |
Our View: Shields was lucky to get a win out of this one. He improved to 7-8 on the season, but as his 3.79 ERA indicates, he's pitched better than his record.
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| James Shields was solid against Kansas City on Sunday, giving up one earned run (two total) off two hits and four walks with six strikeouts over 7.1 innings, but was unable to avoid dropping to 6-8 on the season. |
Our View: Shields has now gone eight starts without a win, though it's tough for fantasy owners to consider to do anything but continuing to play him on a weekly basis, especially when he looked as good as he did today.
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| James Shields was not sharp against the Yankees on Monday, giving up five runs off nine hits and three walks while striking out just two in 5.1 innings. |
Our View: Shields dropped to 6-7 with the loss and has now been shelled in two of his past three turns. There's still plenty of reason to think he'll be a fine member of your fantasy staff going forward, but you may want to consider benching him until he proves to be back on track.
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| James Shields only allowed two earned runs on four hits over 6.2 innings in Wednesday's 4-3 loss at Chicago. He had three walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields was dealt a no-decision, and is winless over his last six starts. He has a 3.70 ERA for the season, and is worth keeping active in fantasy leagues.
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| James Shields got pounded by the Royals on Friday night, but his offense bailed him out as the Rays won the game 8-7. Shields went 5.1 innings and allowed seven runs on 11 hits while walking one and striking out three. He did not factor into the decision. |
Our View: Shields was not good tonight, and the most frustrating part is that it was against the Royals. He has been good most of the season, so hopefully this is just one bad start. Keep throwing him out there unless he has a few more of these starts in a row.
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| James Shields had a quality outing on Sunday, but it wasn't enough as the Rays coughed up a lead late in the game and fell 7-3 to the A's. Shields allowed three runs on six hits and a walk over 6.1 innings, but did not factor in the decision. |
Our View: Shields is just 6-6 on the season, but the Rays' starter has a more than respectable 3.42 ERA. He also boasts four quality starts in his last five outings.
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| James Shields is slated to start Friday against the Royals in the first game after the All-Star break, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Shields will be followed by Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, David Price and Jeff Niemann. Shields was the Rays' opening day starter.
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| James Shields only surrendered one earned run on seven hits over seven innings in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Toronto at Tropicana Field. He had one walk and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Tampa Bay led the game 1-0 when Shields exited, but Toronto tied the battle at 1-1 in the eighth - forcing Shields to take a no-decision rather than a win for his strong performance. On the positive side, he trimmed his ERA to 3.38.
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| James Shields was rocked for five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 7.1 innings in Wednesday's 5-0 loss at Toronto. He had one walk and eight strikeouts, and was tagged for three homers. |
Our View: Shields is an even 6-6, and should remain inconsistent as a fantasy hurler. He only has one win over his last five starts.
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| James Shields allowed three earned runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings in Friday's 7-3 win over the Marlins at Tropicana Field. He had two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: The Rays were trailing 3-2 when Shields exited the game, so he takes a no-decision rather than a win. He remains at 6-5 for the season, with a 3.41 ERA.
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| James Shields was outstanding on Saturday as he picked up his sixth win of the season against the Mets. Shields went seven innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out four in the Rays' 3-1 win. |
Our View: Shields found himself in a good ol' fashioned pitchers' duel with Johan Santana tonight, and he was up to the challenge. Shields may have gone deeper into the game if it wouldn't have gotten delayed in the eighth, but fantasy owners will take it.
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| James Shields allowed four runs (two earned) on 10 hits over 6.1 innings in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Angels at Tropicana Field. He had no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: He falls to 5-5 for the season, but has been pitching better than his record. Keep him active in fantasy leagues.
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| James Shields enjoyed a solid outing as he only allowed two earned runs on six hits over eight innings in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Royals at Tropicana Field. He racked up eight strikeouts with no walks. |
Our View: Shields improves to 5-4 for the season, and ends a four-game skid without claiming a win. He did not allow a walk for the first time this season, and reached a new high in strikeouts.
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| James Shields was very good on Friday night. He surrendered just two runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings and evened his record at 4-4 with a 5-3 win over the Twins. |
Our View: Shields has been fairly consistent this season, which is exactly what the Rays need with their shocking pitching woes in 2009. Shields owns a 3.53 ERA and is a solid option in mixed leagues.
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| James Shields was excellent on Tuesday, but he did not factor into the decision as the Rays fell to the A's 4-1 in 11 innings. Shields went 8.1 innings and did not allow a run on four hits while walking two and striking out five. |
Our View: Shields struggled mightily in his last start, but he was very good tonight. Unfortunately for owners, he didn't get the win, but this was a very good start, which is important coming off his last outing.
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| James Shields was not sharp on Thursday as the Rays fell to the Indians 11-7. Shields went five innings and allowed five runs (two earned) on ten hits while walking one and striking out five. |
Our View: Shields may have only given up two runs that were earned, but he was not good tonight. Ten hits in five innings is far too high, and he just didn't have it tonight. Shields has been off and on this season, but overall he is still a good fantasy pitcher.
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| James Shields won his third game of the season on Sunday with a strong outing against the Red Sox. He allowed just two runs on six hits and two walks over 7.1 innings and struck out six in the Rays' 5-3 win. |
Our View: Shields has had a couple of rocky outings this season, but Sunday's game lowered his ERA to a respectable 3.51. It was also nice to see him strike out six, as he had only fanned 17 batters in 33.2 innings coming into today's start.
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| James Shields took a tough luck loss on Thursday as he allowed a home run to Ichiro in the first inning that was the difference in the game. He tossed 7.1 innings and allowed just the one run on four hits and a walk. |
Our View: It was nice to see Shields put a solid start together after his rough outing on April 17th. He earned the win in that one, but got stuck with the loss in his gem. I guess it all evens out.
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| It wasn't pretty, but James Shields picked up his second win of the season on Friday night. He allowed seven hits and five runs over 7.1 innings against the White Sox. Shields walked two, struck out four, and served up two homers. |
Our View: Shields has had a couple of wayward outings thus far, but it's nice to see him battle through and watch the Rays bats pick him up. We're not at all worried about his 4.58 ERA and four homers allowed at this young point in the season.
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| James Shields tossed seven shutout innings as the Rays won 11-3 in Baltimore on Sunday. He allowed three hits and one walk against three strike outs in the victory. He needed just 88 pitches to get the first 21 outs. |
Our View: Shields was roughed up in his debut against the Red Sox last week, but it appears the Orioles were the remedy. He should be able to keep this momentum going through his next outing.
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| James Shields allowed five runs and nine hits in five and one-third innings Tuesday in a 5-3 loss to Boston. |
Our View: Shields lack solid command, as he hurled 100 pitches (65 strikes) before exiting. He also walked three and allowed two home runs.
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| James Shields struck out four over four innings of work against the Twins in Wednesday's 2-1 win. He allowed four hits, a walk, and an earned run in the outing. |
Our View: This has to be one of Shields' better outings of the spring, as he was able to lower his ERA to 8.16. Shields has thrown 430 regular seasons innings over the past two seasons, and there is some concern that his arm may be going through a dead phase right now.
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| James Shields was absolutely blasted by the Twins on Friday, giving up an eye-popping 11 runs on 12 hits and three walks over just 4.1 innings. Not surprisingly, he was given the loss. |
Our View: It had to end some time. Every pitcher is due one spring start where they get demolished. This was his. Don't worry too much. He should still be a top 15 fantasy starter.
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| James Shields was dominant on Thursday, throwing four scoreless innings while allowing only one hit and one walk. Shields struck out three in the contest, was rewarded with a victory and lowered his ERA to 1.50. |
Our View: The Rays opening day starter looked fantastic again. Shields shows no signs of slowing down and should be a top-15 fantasy starter.
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| James Shields looked fine in his first spring training start on Saturday, giving up one run off two hits and zero walks while striking out two against Boston. |
Our View: Shields will serve as Tampa Bay's opening day starter. He's coming off fine campaigns each of the past two seasons and has established himself as a consensus top-15 pitcher heading into 2009 fantasy drafts.
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| James Shields will make his first start of the spring on Saturday, according to the Tampa Tribune. He has already been named the Rays' opening day starter. |
Our View: Shields is the ace of a talented staff and should make for a fine fantasy starter this season. However, he logged a ton of innings last season when including the playoffs so beware of him wearing down.
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| James Shields earned the win after throwing 5.2 shutout innings. He struck out four and scattered nine baserunners in the 4-2 victory. |
Our View: Shields came through when he needed to, but nine baserunners in 5.2 innings seems like too many. He is now 2-2 in the playoffs.
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| James Shields allowed three earned runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Boston in Game 6 of the ALCS, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Tampa Bay could have sealed their first trip to the World Series tonight, but now must play in Sunday's Game 7. Shields was 0-2 in the series, with a 3.46 ERA.
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| James Shields will be making his biggest start of the season in Game 6 of the ALCS as the Rays attempt to put away the Red Sox and move on to the World Series, according to the Rays Official Website. |
Our View: Shields lost in Game 1 of the ALCS despite allowing just two runs in 7.1 innings, but he has won eight of his past 12 starts at the Trop where he finished the regular season with a 2.59 ERA.
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| James Shields may not start in Game 5 according to the Tampa Tribune. The likely alternative would be bringing back Scott Kazmir that day and saving Shields for Game 6 at the Trop. |
Our View: That would make sense given there is about seven runs’ difference in the two pitchers’ ERA at Fenway Park, with Kazmir traditionally pitching very well here and Shields getting lit up over a smaller sample size.
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| James Shields only allowed two earned runs on six hits over 7.1 innings in Friday's 2-0 loss to Boston in Game 1 of the ALCS at Tropicana Field, with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields pitched well, but the Rays' hitters could not muster a single run against Boston's pitchers, led by Daisuke Matsuzaka.
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| James Shields has been slated to pitch Game 1 of the ALCS against Boston, according to the Tampa Tribune. Manager Joe Maddon is sticking with the same rotation he used in the first round against Chicago, with Scott Kazmir following Shields in Game 2, and Matt Garza taking the hill in Game 3. Andy Sonnanstine will "probably" pitch Game 4. |
Our View: Shields won 14 games in the regular season for the AL East champion Rays, with a 1.15 WHIP. He allowed three earned runs in a winning effort against Chicago in Game 1 of the ALDS as well.
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| James Shields was in control in Thursday's 6-4 win over the White Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS at Tropicana Field, as he allowed three earned runs on six hits over 6.1 innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields went 14-8 in the regular season with a 3.56 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, and did not disappoint in his first postseason start.
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| James Shields was named the Rays starter for Game 1 of the ALDS, according to The Tampa Tribune. Shields will be followed by Scott Kazmir in Game 2, Matt Garza in Game 3 and Andy Sonnanstine in Game 4. |
Our View: Just as expected. Shields was the team's most consistent hurler this season, and given the hiccups that Kazmir has had of late, he is a much safer bet to start a series with.
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| Tampa hurler James Shields picked up his 14th win of the season, going seven innings and allowing two runs on eight hits in the Rays' 5-2 over Baltimore. |
Our View: Shields had a poor outing the last time he toed the rubber, but is looking to finish strong in his final start of the year.
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| James Shields was dealing Saturday, tossing eight shutout innings while allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out six in a 7-1 win over the Yankees. |
Our View: Shields picked up his 13th win and his ERA now sits at 3.50 for the year.
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| James Shields will have his next start pushed back from Friday to Saturday as the team apparently wants to break up Matt Garza and Edwin Jackson in the rotation, according to The Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Apparently there is nothing physically wrong with Shields which is great news. The team just wanted to set the way the rotation was ordered down the stretch. Garza will start on Friday with Shields going on Saturday against the Yankees.
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| James Shields picked up his 12th win of the season with a solid performance against the Orioles on Sunday. He allowed six hits and one run over seven innings. Shields also walked two and struck out one. |
Our View: Shields was a little rough this August, but he generally remains someone fantasy owners can count on. He is up to 184.2 innings after logging 215.0 in 2007. The workload is something we might worry about heading into 2009.
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| The Rays continue to struggle without their stars, falling 6-2 versus the Toronto Blue Jays despite a nice outing from RHP James Shields. Shields pitched 6 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs (all earned) on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: This serves as Shields' first lost of the month and one of just two losses over his last eight starts. During that span, he has surrendered just 11 walks, balanced by 39 strikeouts.
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| James Shields improved to 11-6 with a win over the Angels on Tuesday night. He allowed a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the fourth, but the right-hander finished with only those two runs against over eight innings. Shields gave up nine hits and struck out seven. |
Our View: Shields has been brilliant against the vaunted Angels this year, posting a 2.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, and 21 hits allowed over 25.0 innings. The Rays will need him to stay strong if they hope to close out the AL East and beat the Angels this postseason.
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| James Shields did not factor into the decision, but he was not sharp, allowing ten base runners, four of which scored, on five hits and five walks in five innings pitched as the Rays beat the A's 7-6. |
Our View: Shields has had a very good year, and this game was uncharacteristic of Shields as he was averaging just 1.42 walks per nine innings prior to today.
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| James Shields permitted three runners to cross home plate on Friday night against the Mariners as he worked 6.2 innings in his 10th victory of the year. |
Our View: Shields has walked all of seven batters over his last nine starts during which time he has struck out 47 batters for a fantastic 6.71 K/B ratio. It’s a simple game really. Throw strikes, avoid walking people and watch the results flow from it (he is 6-2 in his those starts).
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| James Shields wasn't at his best on Sunday, but he still gave the Rays a chance to win as he held the Tigers to just two runs over 6.1 innings before Troy Percival entered and blew the game. |
Our View: Shields allowed nine hits on the day, and he has walked only one batter over his last three starts as he simply doesn't beat himself - he makes the hitter do it.
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| Tampa Bay RHP James Shields will shot for his 10th win today as the Rays welcome the Detroit Tigers in the final chapter of a three-game series, according to the Miami Herald. |
Our View: The Rays head into Sunday with a three-game lead in the American League's East Division over the Boston Red Sox. A 26-year-old Californian and a former 16th-round draft pick, Shields was a 12-game winner last season over 31 starts in his initial full stint in the starting rotation. Shields is 2-0 in a pair of career starts against the Tigers and is 7-1 in 12 starts at home this season.
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| James Shields allowed three earned runs on six hits over 8.1 innings in Wednesday's 4-3 win over Oakland at Tropicana Field, with no walks and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields is now 5-1 over his last seven starts.
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| The Rays and Jays battled through a pitcher's duel this evening with Tampa Bay emerging 2-1, giving RHP James Shields his eighth victory of the season. Shields pitched seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: This gives Shields four wins over his last five starts with a no-decision sandwiched in between. During that stretch, Shields has walked just five batters versus 26 strikeouts, lasting at least six innings in each.
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| James Shields will be the first to take the mound after the All Star break, this according to the team website.
"I think it's an important game," Shields said. "You want to start the second half off strong.
Shield has started 10 games at the Trop where he is 5-1 with a 2.13 ERA. After Scott Kazmir threw 104 pitches Sunday he is not expected be used in Tuesday's All-Star Game.
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Our View: Kazmir is the likely Saturday or Sunday starter with Matt Garza filling out the rotation for the teams' three game series against Toronto.
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| James Shields enjoyed a strong outing from the hill in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Royals, as he only issued two earned runs on four hits over seven innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts. |
Our View: He moves to 7-5, and trimmed his ERA to 3.64. He has won three-straight decisions, and has only allowed five earned runs and two walks over the span. He should remain active as a starter in mixed-leagues.
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| James Shields was in peak form tonight as he held the Marlins to just one run over seven innings in his fifth victory of the season. |
Our View: Shields was given 14 runs of support in this one, and he did what good pitchers do in that situation - he threw strikes and let his defense do its thing.
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| James Shields allowed three runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out nine Cubs over 6.1 innings of work. Shields and the Rays began the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead, but the Cubs strung together a double by Fontenot, a single by Fukudome, a single by Theriot and an error by B.J. Upton allowed Chicago to score three runs. |
Our View: When Shields exited the game he was the pitcher of record and could win his fifth game of the year but could lose his sixth. The performance by Shields was outstanding until the hard-throwing right-hander appeared to run out of gas.
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| James Shields pitched a complete game on Tuesday night despite spotting the Angels four runs in the first inning. The right-hander ended up allowing 10 hits and six runs over eight frames. Shields walked none and struck out nine. Six of hits came in the first inning. |
Our View: Hey, at least Shields didn't throw at or hit anyone this time out.
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| James Shields was suspended six games by MLB for his involvement in Thursday's brawl with the Red Sox. |
Our View: Shields won't miss a start, he'll instead just have his next one pushed back. This is good news for his owners, because he could have easily gotten more given that he admitted to throwing at Coco Crisp.
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| The continuing drama between the Red Sox and the Rays took a twist on Thursday night when pitcher James Shields, ejected after he hit, and then fought, Coco Crisp in the second inning, showed no remorse nor denied that he was trying to hit Crisp, this according to the Providence Journal.
“I’m all about protecting my players,” he said. “I think what (Crisp) did (Wednesday) was an absolutely dirty move, bush league and not supposed to be in the professional game of baseball. I’m out there to protect my players no matter what the cost is." |
Our View: The cost is more significant for the Rays than to the Red Sox. Losing Shields for one or two starts is much more damaging than losing Crisp for 4-10 games.
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| James Shields was saddled with the loss as he allowed four runs in just one inning of work before being ejected for throwing at Coco Crisp. |
Our View: As mentioned earlier, Shields will almost certainly be suspended for his actions tonight, it's only a matter of whether or not he will appeal the league's ruling.
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| James Shields was ejected from the Sox and Rays game on Thursday after he threw a pitch at Coco Crisp that started a brawl, according to the Associated Press. Crisp was hit by a pitch from James Shields, likely a retaliatory strike for Crisp trying to injure Akinori Iwamura on Wednesday night, and he then charged the mound. Shields threw a huge punch that missed, at which point Crisp got in several punches.
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Our View: Shields will likely be served a suspension here, one that will likely be long enough to cost him at least one start, so keep that in mind when setting your lineup next week unless Shields appeals the looming suspension.
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| Tampa Bay RHP James Shields went deep into the battle with Baltimore today, but late scoring kept him from the win as the Rays emerged victorious 5-4. Shields went eight full innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on eight hits with just one walk and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields failed to get the decision, his second start with such results, but touts seven walks versus 24 strikeouts through the month of May.
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| James Shields allowed five runs over 7.2 innings against the A's thanks to three home runs allowed on the night which accounted for four of the five runs. |
Our View: Shields entered the night with just two HR allowed, so look at tonight's misadventures as simple normalization from the Rays best hurler.
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| James Shields allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out six, but took the 2-1 loss to the Yankees and Mike Mussina on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Shield's effort was plenty good enough to earn a win. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.05 in the loss.
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| James Shields won his fourth game of the year on Friday night in a complete game 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The Rays' right-hander threw 92 pitches, allowed only one hit, no walks and struck out eight. |
Our View: An impressive bounce back after a dismal start against the Red Sox, and against a very good Angels offense.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that Rays skipper Joe Maddon expects to see James Shields' best tonight, considering the way the pitcher has been stewing since turning in one of the worst performances of his career last weekend at Fenway Park. The right-hander allowed 13 Red Sox hitters to reach base, and seven runs to score in 3.2 innings of work. |
Our View: Through seven innings, Shields has allowed one hit, walked none and struck out eight. The score is tied at 0-0 in a game where the Rays are hosting the Angels.
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| James Shields was rocked for seven runs on 10 hits over a mere 3.2 innings of work against the Red Sox on Saturday, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Shields was previously named the AL Player of the Week, and was 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA and solid 1.15 ERA prior to today's nightmarish outing. See if you can lure him away for a bargain price.
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| James Shields has been named the American League Player of the Week, according to the AP. Shields went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two starts for the Rays, and helped lead the team to their first three-game sweep of the Red Sox. Other nominees for the honor were Maggio Ordonez, Josh Hamilton, Chien-Ming Wang, and Cliff Lee. |
Our View: Shields is 3-1 overall, with a 2.54 ERA and strong 1.15 WHIP over 39 innings, with 28 strikeouts. He has lived up to expectations as a preseason sleeper, and his fantasy stock will continue to rise.
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| Tampa Bay RHP James Shields was in fine form today, holding the Boston Red Sox to just two hits in a shutout 0-3 win. Shields completed the full game, throwing just 99 pitches (66 for strikes) to walk one and strike out seven. |
Our View: Shields gets his third win of the season and carries just nine walks versus 28 strike outs, one of many reasons why the Rays are smiling about their position in the world of major league pitching.
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| James Shields worked seven strong innings against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and improved to 2-1. The right-hander allowed six hits and four runs (two earned), walked two, and struck out five. His ERA slid down to 3.30. |
Our View: Oddly, that's the third straight game is which Shields has been saddled with two or more unearned runs. He remains a solid No. 2 hurler in mixed fantasy leagues.
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| James Shields struggled to hold the Twins down on Wednesday as he allowed five runs, three earned. Shields permitted one walk while giving up eight hits in five innings. |
Our View: This was far from the type of experience we have become accustomed to with Shields, but he still had a 5 to 1 K/BB outing and he should bounce back nicely next time out.
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| James Shields was dealt his first loss of the season on Sunday as he allowed two runs on eight hits over five innings, with one walk and five strikeouts, as Tampa Bay fell to New York 2-0. That was a solid outing for him overall, and most of the damage came off of a two-run homer by Hideki Matsui. You can't blame him for no run support, and he should bounce back fine. |
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| James Shields pitched seven strong innings of five-hit ball leading the Rays to a 6-2 victory over the Orioles on Monday afternoon. Shields got the call as the opening day starter in place of the injured Scott Kazmir. The right-hander allowed two runs, walked three and struck out two in the win. |
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| James Shields was handed his first loss of the spring against Minnesota on Wednesday as he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits over four innings of work, with no walks and three strikeouts. He falls to 3-1 but still holds a solid 2.41 ERA and the Rays are in good hands with him as their acting ace until Kazmir returns. |
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| James Shields will be the Ray's opening day starting pitcher, according to MLB.com. He gets the nod as Scott Kazmir continues to deal with his elbow strain, and Shields commented, "It's one of the biggest honors a starter could ever have. I've worked hard to get here, so it's very gratifying. The unfortunate thing about it is you don't like to get it this way, without Kaz. But now that I am the Opening Day starter, I'll be doing the best I can. And hopefully he'll be back real soon. Like I've said all along, he's our ace."
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| James Shields had a strong day from the mound on Tuesday as he pitched five scoreless innings, while allowing four hits and walking one. He looked great at times in 2007 and this is encouraging news. |
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| James Shields allowed six hits and two runs on Thursday to the Phillies in a solid overall performance in which both of the runs he allowed came on a HR by Chris Coste. “I think he just got some balls up that he was not trying to get up,” manager Joe Maddon said to the AP. “You could see when he was making his pitches down and getting ahead, he was very effective. I’m not concerned with him at all.” Shields was a fantastic pitcher last season who exhibited power (184 K) and control (5.11 K/BB). If he can remotely approach those totals this season, he will once again be a top of the line hurler. |
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| James Shields will move into the No. 1 role for the Rays if injured Scott Kazmir isn't ready for the March 31 season opener, according to TampaBay.com. Shields will start in Friday's exhibition contest in place of Kazmir, who is suffering from an elbow strain. The coaching staff of the Rays are treating the injury as a typical spring ailment, but fantasy owners should be more wary. Kazmir is projected to be one of the top AL pitchers this summer and any injury, or missed starts, diminishes his value in the fantasy realm. |
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| James Shields has finalized a new, long-term deal with the Rays. The deal includes four guaranteed years, with three option years, meaning the right-hander could stay in Tampa through the 2014 season, according to the Tampa Tribune. Shields posted a breakout year in 2007, holding a 3.85 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 31 starts, and the Rays did a good job in locking him up. |
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| The Devil Rays have decided to shut down James Shields for the year as he's at 215 innings, the Tampa Tribune reports. Shields was taken aback by the decision—especially being told the day before the Southern California native was scheduled to start before family and friends against the Angels. "I was pretty shocked," he said. "I'm not really too happy with the full decision, but it is what it is and there's nothing I can really do about it." Just-recalled J.P. Howell will start tomorrow against the Angels and probably get two more starts to close the year. |
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| James Shields was beaten Friday night for the first time in 14 starts. He allowed five runs on six hits, a walk, and two homers. Shields was the first Devil Rays pitcher to begin a season 6-0 and one of only 17 major league pitchers in the last 25 years to start the year with 13 straight unbeaten starts. |
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| The Devil Rays wasted a superb outing by James Shields Sunday, as Shields gave up two runs on just two hits and a walk while striking out 12 over eight innings. The Rays gave up four runs in the ninth to keep Shields from picking up his second win of the year. |
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| James Shields will open the year as the third starter for the Devil Rays, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Keep an eye on Shields, who's got a solid 2.96 ERA this spring with 25 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. |
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| Jamie Shields will be shut down for the final week, according to the Devil Rays official site. "Shields (is being shut down) based on number of innings pitched to this point," manager Joe Maddon said. Shields finished his rookie year 6-8 with a 4.84 ERA and 104 strikeouts (against 38 walks) in 124 2/3 innings. Between the majors and Triple-A, he worked 179 innings this year.
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| Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said he was concerned enough about how many innings Jamie Shields has pitched this season that Friday's start may have been Shields' last this year, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "If this is my last start, I feel it's a good game to end on," said Shields, who has worked a total of 186 innings. |
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| Jamie Shields left Thursday’s start against the Yankees after five innings due to cramping in his right hamstring, according to the AP. Shields gave up four runs and six hits before the early exit. |
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| After winning his first four starts from June 5 to June 21, Jamie Shields has lost four of his last five starts, according to the AP. In 56 1/3 IP (10 starts), Shields is 4-4 with a 5.75 ERA. |
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