Floro hoping for a lengthy stay with Tampa Bay Rays

This past year has brought plenty of good changes into Dylan Floro’s life.

There was the birth of his daughter Ryleigh 10 months ago.

Soon after that he married his wife, Amber.

If that wasn’t enough, three weeks ago, the former Buhach Colony High star fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was called up to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“A year ago, I was sitting in the minor leagues wondering what I had to do to get up here,” Floro said as he stood in the visiting clubhouse at the Oakland Coliseum before the Rays began a four-game series against the A’s on Thursday evening. “It’s been a big change since last year. I have my beautiful daughter, I married my wife and now one of my dreams has finally come true.”

Floro, 25, is doing his best to stay with the Rays.

Since making his debut on July 7 against the Los Angeles Angels, the right-hander has come out of the bullpen and allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings. Floro was called up after going 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 48 innings at Triple-A Durham.

“He’s been doing good,” said fellow Rays rookie Blake Snell, who came up in the organization with Floro. “They’ve been putting him in a bunch, and he’s done really well. He’s competing in the zone. It’s been fun to watch.”

Floro was helping out at youth camp for the Durham Bulls when he found out he was getting called up to the Rays. His parents, Kent and Deann, were getting ready to fly to Charlotte for the Triple-A All-Star Game before Floro was promoted to Tampa Bay.

“I called my dad first,” the Merced native said. “They were getting ready to come out to Charlotte, and I told him you better change your flight for Tampa. He was like, ‘Are you serious?’ I said, ‘Yes, I just got called up.’

“My mom didn’t believe me at first, and then I could tell she was tearing up.”

Floro said he didn’t know the exact count, but there were a lot of family members and friends in the stands Thursday, and many more that will be making the trip to Oakland this weekend to see him. Floro says he grew up more of an Atlanta Braves fan but made plenty of trips to the Coliseum as a kid.

“It’s been pretty amazing,” he said. “It’s something I’ve worked so long for, for it to come true, it’s a life-changing event for me and my family.”

The transition from a starter to a reliever has helped open the door for Floro to get to Tampa Bay.

It was a change he struggled with toward the end of last season. He had a hard time adjusting to getting up and warming up quickly to come into a game.

So this offseason, he came up with a routine that would work for him in the bullpen.

“I don’t have that 45 minutes to get warmed up,” Floro said. “I had to find a way to stay consistent. It’s nothing crazy. I just make sure I move around more and I’m not just sitting there for six innings. If I’m feeling stiff, I can do some band work or stretch. I just make sure I’m moving around.”

The first hitter Floro faced when he made his debut was future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols.

Floro said when the phone rang in the bullpen for him to warm up, his heart began pounding.

“I come into the game and the first hitter I face I grew up watching on TV,” Floro said. “I’ve seen what he can do before. It’s my major-league debut, and in my head I’m thinking don’t leave a pitch up because I know he can take care of it.”

Pujols eventually singled off Floro as he gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings against the Angels.

Floro’s second outing didn’t get any easier with it coming at Boston. Floro retired Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz in order as he pitched two scoreless innings.

Floro has surrendered nine hits and three walks and struck out seven in his five appearances with the Rays. His only shaky outing came on Monday when he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.

Floro rebounded with another scoreless inning against the Rockies on Wednesday.

“It’s a little frustrating giving up the two runs, but that’s part of the game,” Floro said. “To get back out there and put up another zero for my team means a lot.”

Showing he can bounce back from a bad outing will go a long way in helping Floro stick around in Tampa Bay. Staying at the top level is about making a series of adjustments as the hitters in the league adjust to you.

“I’m still adjusting to being here,” Snell said. “I’ve been here a month. I’m sure he’s going through the same thing. There’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot of guys here who have been here awhile. You just keep quiet and listen to them.”

Floro feels all the tools are here at the big-league level for him to succeed.

“There’s a lot more information here,” Floro said. “You can study hitters. There’s a lot more resources. There’s a lot more people to help you out. In Triple A, you have three coaches. Here, there are seven or eight coaches who can help you if you have questions.

“I can’t complain so far. You don’t want to give up two runs, especially in a one-run game like that. Other than that, I feel like I’ve done my job, and that’s what I have to do coming out of the bullpen.”

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 8:13 PM with the headline "Floro hoping for a lengthy stay with Tampa Bay Rays."