NEW YORK — What would you do if you were the Rays?

Two of your talented young starters have had inconsistent performances and mixed results so far this season.

Taj Bradley, after a second straight rough and bullpen-draining abbreviated outing on Friday, has a 4-5, 4.35 record in 14 starts, allowing 68 hits and 33 walks over 78 2/3 innings while striking out 69.

Shane Baz, who makes his 14th start Sunday, is 5-3 with a 4.97 ERA, allowing 69 hits and 26 walks over 70 2/3 innings while striking out 65.

By ERA+, a metric that includes adjustment for ballparks, both are below the league average.

Meanwhile, at Triple A, you have Joe Boyle, the prized offseason trade acquisition.

After another dazzling outing at Durham on Friday — one run, three hits, nine strikeouts over five innings — Boyle is 4-4 with a 1.53 ERA, allowing 31 hits and 24 walks over 59 innings while striking out 73.

Plus, in a one-off start for the Rays in April, he threw five hitless innings, striking out seven.

Do you give in to the understandable temptation to bring up Boyle, whose stuff can look dominant at times, and put him in the rotation? (Or, potentially, move him to a high-leverage bullpen role?)

Though his team eventually bailed him out, Taj Bradley had another tough outing Friday night. Bradley has a 4-5, 4.35 record in 14 starts.Though his team eventually bailed him out, Taj Bradley had another tough outing Friday night. Bradley has a 4-5, 4.35 record in 14 starts. [ FRANK FRANKLIN II | AP ]

Or do you stick to your plan to be patient, to let Boyle — who still has some bouts of inconsistency himself — build a solid foundation so that when he does get called up (barring an injury fill-in situation) he can stay and handle the inevitable ups and downs?

In 16 big-league games (13 starts) with the A’s in 2023-24, he was 5-6, 5.23, walking 45 while striking out 71 in 63 2/3 innings.

The Rays apparently are going to keep waiting. They still have confidence in Baz and Bradley. And they are committed to doing what they feel is right with Boyle.

“He’s done a great job in Durham. I talked to him when I was down there (last week),” baseball operations president Erik Neander said Friday on his weekly WDAE segment.

“We want to try to do everything we can to do this right, to build it right. That requires some patience and not just at the first time that someone throwing 100 (mph) has success you advance them to the next step. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Neander said they see Boyle as a starter and “are going to stay committed to that for the time being.”

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But Neander also did acknowledge that as Boyle continues building and “fine-tuning some things under the hood that aren’t just the results themselves, if he continues to make progress, you start having the conversations about how he could potentially help your group.”

Catch them while you canWith the summer heat officially here, you'll see the Rays' schedule take them away from Steinbrenner Field and to road foes more often the next several weeks.With the summer heat officially here, you’ll see the Rays’ schedule take them away from Steinbrenner Field and to road foes more often the next several weeks. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]

The Rays return home Monday for series against the Orioles and American League-leading Tigers, with some interesting additional attractions such as a post-game drone show Tuesday, a Baz bobblehead giveaway Thursday, pride night programming Friday and FSU day on Sunday.

But take a good look, because after that they’ll be pretty much gone for a while.

From June 23 through Aug. 18, a span of 57 days, the Rays will play only 12 games at Steinbrenner Field and 35 on the road. Take it out to Aug. 31, and it’s 17 at home and 41 on the road.

A small part of that is the result of the two series the Rays and Major League Baseball flip-flopped to play more games at home earlier in better weather as were they forced to move outdoors due to Hurricane Milton damage to Tropicana Field.

The July 4-6 series at Minnesota that kicks off what is now a 10-game trip leading into the July 14-17 All-Star break was originally supposed to be at home (and the May 26-28 series in Minnesota). Same with the Aug. 4-6 visit to Anaheim, extending what already was a long West Coast trip to 12 games over 14 days (as the Angels came to Tampa on April 8-10).

To this point, the Rays have played the most home games in the majors (43, with a 23-20 record) and fewest road games (26 through Friday, with a 14-12 mark).

Franco update

Wander Franco’s trial in the Dominican Republic resumes Tuesday with the prosecution presenting final arguments and the defense reportedly planning to ask for exoneration. Even if the defense calls witnesses, there is now an expectation of resolution soon, maybe even this week, rather than the expected months-long process.

Draft breeze

Keith Law’s latest mock draft for The Athletic has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on Oklahoma right-hander Kyson Witherspoon, with Tampa Jesuit/FSU produce Jamie Arnold going sixth to Pittsburgh. MLB.com has the Rays taking Mill Creek (Georgia) High School shortstop Daniel Pierce, and Arnold going third to Seattle. Baseball America has the Rays taking UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner and Arnold going seventh to Miami.

Rays rumblings

Pitcher Ryan Pepiot and wife Lilia were on the wrong side of the action during Thursday’s off-night at New York’s famed Comedy Cellar, seated in the front row and heckled by the host. “We got got,” Pepiot said. “Absolutely roasted.” … Manager Kevin Cash threw batting practice for the first this season Friday to a group that included Jonathan Aranda and Danny Jansen, and both homered. … In addition to playing his first game at Fenway Park last week, Jake Mangum was excited to pose for a photo with former Red Sox closer, and current broadcaster, Jonathan Papelbon, a fellow Mississippi State product. … FanDuel Sports Network Sun in-game reporter Ryan Bass has been playing/working hurt, separating his right shoulder in a fall from an electric scooter. … In its annual players poll, The Athletic asked which organizations have good and bad reputations — and the Rays were the only one to finish in the top 10 on both sides. … The mlbtraderumors.com site did a poll asking “Will Drew Rasmussen keep pitching like an ace?” Results through Saturday afternoon were 56.5% yes, 43.5% no. Closer Pete Fairbanks recommended that those who didn’t know “get familiar with” Rasmussen. … MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand listed starter Zack Littell and second baseman Brandon Lowe among 12 players whose trade value has risen.

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