Tony DeMarco

During a series last week when Joe Maddon was able to write the names of Pat Burrell and Jason Bartlett into the lineup for the first time in a month, he had this to say about his Tampa Bay Rays:

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And we’re getting healthier.’’

Yes, the Rays have positioned themselves nicely for a run at the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in what figures to be a three-teams-for-two-playoff-spots race down the stretch.

The Rays lead the American League in runs despite the extended disabled-list stays of Burrell and Bartlett, and the sub-par offensive starts of B.J. Upton and Dioner Navarro.

Throw in an improving David Price, who is five starts into his second big-league stay and in the rotation for good, and the expected return of Scott Kazmir from the DL, and you have the makings of a Rays team that already has posted the AL’s best record since April 30, and should be getting even better.

But look around, and the Rays are more the exception than the rule. Key injuries are adversely affecting contenders and also-rans alike, and are certain to play a role in what unfolds in the trade market between now and July 31. Here are some of the names, issues and teams involved:

The pitching market
The dynamic in the starting pitcher market has changed with Jake Peavy’s ankle injury that could end his season. He’s not going anywhere, so that pushes every other available starter up the pecking order — led by Roy Oswalt (although with veto rights), Brad Penny, Ian Snell and Doug Davis, with Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn and Jason Marquis coming a bit later. And there’s always Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine.

One exception: Jonathan Sanchez’s recent struggles have marred his value, hurting the chances of the contending San Francisco Giants adding a desperately needed bat.

The Red Sox have so much quality pitching that they can entertain offers for Penny while possibly considering a short bullpen stint for scuffling Daisuke Matsuzaka. What other team can do that? Answer: none.

But so many other contenders, including even the usually pitching-rich Los Angeles Angels, are looking. You can throw Philadelphia, Detroit and Texas (as usual) in that mix, and likely, Milwaukee and the Dodgers (if Hiroki Kuroda’s struggles continue).

The Angels looking for pitching, you say? Well, consider: Frankie Rodriguez wears a Mets uniform these days, Scot Shields is done for the season after surgery, Kelvim Escobar remains out and Ervin Santana is nursing tightness in his elbow.

Phillies', Tigers', Rangers' rotation woes
Brett Myers’ hip injury is only part of a growing rotation problem in Philadelphia that has Charlie Manuel asking the front office for ‘a horse’, not just a rotation filler.

The Phillies have a small cushion in the NL East race, but the rotation’s woes already are taxing the bullpen, so waiting much longer may not be an option here. Starter or reliever, expect something soon. Brad Lidge is expected back before the end of the month, but nobody is expecting the 2008 version to show up.

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Tigers VP/GM Dave Dombrowski has the go-ahead from owner Mike Ilitch to add some payroll if necessary, and with Dontrelle Willis’ struggles continuing, Armando Galarraga unable to match last season’s breakthrough, and a possible limit on Rick Porcello’s inning total, there is a rotation need.

Texas’s ability to do a hitter (Hank Blalock?)-for-pitcher deal is limited until Josh Hamilton returns. They also aren’t going to trade any of their trio of elite prospects — Neftali Feliz, Justin Smoak, Julio Borbon — but could deal from a minor-league system widely regarded as one of the best in the game.

Mets need hitting
Fortunately for the Phillies, the Mets have well-publicized issues of their own, with Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes still out and even Johan Santana struggling of late atop a marginal rotation.

There could be help from within pitching-wise with the imminent returns of John Maine and Oliver Perez, and Billy Wagner in a month or so.

But offensively, the fixes apparently will have to come through a deal, and the longer Delgado stays out, the greater the likelihood of a first-base addition such as Aubrey Huff or Nick Johnson, or the versatile Mark DeRosa, who could move elsewhere if Delgado comes back.

Meanwhile, White Sox GM Kenny Williams is caught in the middle. He made a run at Jake Peavy and is trying to correct the organization’s spring mistake of thinking Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras could adequately man the back of the rotation.

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Gaining three games on the first-place Tigers in three days this week has helped the White Sox creep back into the AL Central race, but with Carlos Quentin’s foot problems keeping him out until — latest estimate — after the All-Star break, Williams flipping to a salary-dump mode at any point is an obvious possibility.

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