Here's how Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeffrey Springs' comeback tour brought him back home

Belmont native Jeffrey Springs’ path back to the majors last week brought the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher within miles from where his big league dreams began.

In town for a rehab stint with the Durham Bulls, the South Point product took the mound twice in the span of six days against the hometown Charlotte Knights. He pitched 8 ⅔ innings in starts July 9 and 14, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits with five strikeouts.

The left-hander is working his way back to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023.

“(Tampa Bay Rays) had it mapped out a couple months ago, mapping out starts to try and build me back up to five, six innings of pitching or whatever they wanted me to get to,” Springs said. “I knew I’d probably be finishing here by the all-star break, and there was a little hiccup before rehab started, so everything worked out. I guess everything happens for a reason.

“It’s pretty cool, I never had the chance to play this close to home in a professional setting. This is such a beautiful ballpark. I’m very proud of where I’m from, so it’s pretty neat to be able to come back and play in front of friends and family.”

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A 2011 South Point High graduate, Springs helped the Red Raiders to the NCHSAA 3A state baseball title. The lefty spent his next four years at Appalachian State, his performance catching the eye of the Texas Rangers who selected him in the 30th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Springs made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Rangers, making 43 appearances in two seasons. He was traded in 2020 to the Boston Red Sox, where the Belmont native finished with an 0-2 record and a 7.08 ERA in 16 appearances.

However, Springs believes his most recent move in 2021 changed the trajectory of the South Point product’s career.

“(Tampa Bay) completely turned my career around, to be honest. They know that,” he said. “I had three-plus years in the big leagues, but had yet to figure out how to stick, how to become ‘a guy.’ I don’t want to just be a big leaguer; I want to be a really good big leaguer.

“Coming (to Tampa Bay) after a bad 2020 with the Red Sox, it was just a blessing. I realized what I did well, what I didn’t do well, things I could tinker with and things that may work. Plus, Tampa Bay has kept a good pitching staff year in and year out. I didn’t want to be the outlier, so I bought in and soaked up as much as I could.”

Springs enjoyed a breakout 2022 season, finishing with a 9-5 record with a 2.46 ERA and 144 strikeouts. He was rewarded for such work, the Rays signing him to a four-year, $31 millions contract extension.

“Competing against the best players in the world, when they step in the box and you’re on the mound, it’s you against them and everything else is white noise,” he said. “Going out every day, grinding with teammates, and the competitive side of it; we play a lot of games, and you have to love every second or it takes its toll on you. I’m blessed to have played as long as I have.”

Springs isn’t interested in staying put in his baseball career, however. He’s more focused on ensuring the next chapter allows him to achieve elusive goals, among them participating in the postseason and the World Series.

“Obviously the easy (answer when it comes to goals) is to win a World Series,” he said. “I think that would be unbelievable, but for me the biggest thing is to get healthy and becoming a quality starter year in and year out. Guys who can do that is so impressive; it’s difficult to throw 180 innings each year and be someone their team can depend on. That’s a personal goal, to become the workhorse my team can depend on every five days, and I hope to do that for some time to come.”

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Tampa Bay Rays, South Point High's Jeffrey Springs rehabs in Charlotte