Niemann had a rough beginning before settling in and establishing himself as a mainstay in the Rays rotation. Don't count on a sophomore slump, either: The big righty turns 27 in Spring Training and only figures to build on his strong second half, during which time he showed improved command with a 73/21 K/BB ratio.

Niemann has just one quality start in his past four outings, but it hasn't deterred from what has been a very good season from the 26-year-old. His 13 wins, 3.94 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings all point to Niemann making an impact in the Rays rotation next season.

Niemann struggled in his outing on Monday and has cranked up his innings count to 175 2/3 -- easily his professional high. Still, the Rays believe the 6-foot-9, 260-pound behemoth will have the stamina to survive one more outing. "I really want him to make [the start]," Maddon said. "I want him to go out there and pitch somewhat tired mentally and try to take a different approach into the game. As far as I know, he's fine, and I haven't heard anything negative."

Niemann has been stout in his last two starts, allowing just three earned runs on 11 hits -- with no homers -- in 14 2/3 innings. The hot streak comes off a four-start streak from Aug. 7-24 in which he posted a measly 4.97 ERA, so Niemann is making the necessary adjustments to turn himself into a viable spot starter. On that note, it still isn't a good idea to run him out against a vaunted Yankees lineup on Sept. 9 at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium.

Life is good when you're a Rays starter whose offense provides eight runs of support against Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. The truth is that Niemann was lucky to escape without his ERA climbing any higher than 3.87. The big righty does deserve credit for lasting six innings or more in eight straight outings, but he'll have his work cut out for him taking on Justin Verlander and the Tigers next time out.

Niemann was close to getting his third shutout of the season, but Brian Roberts hit a one-out solo homer in the eighth. Niemann then exited after throwing 101 pitches. The 26-year-old righty has been arguably the most stable piece of Tampa Bay's rotation, leading the team in wins (11) and ERA (3.71) while becoming a mainstay on plenty of fantasy staffs. He'll face a more daunting challenge next time out when he takes the hill against Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

Niemann has lasted eight-plus innings in three of his last four starts, all three of which he's won. Even more promising during this streak is a 26/4 K/BB ratio over 31 2/3 innings of the four starts. Niemann should do just fine in his next start as well -- Aug. 7 at Safeco Field against the light-hitting Mariners -- so be sure to use him as a spot start option.

Sunday's loss marked the end of a nice run by Niemann, as he entered his latest contest having posted wins in five straight decisions, dating back to June 3. The rookie right-hander allowed more than three runs for the first time since June 10, and served up his first gopher ball since May 23. Niemann will look to pick up his 10th win next time out when he faces the Royals on August 1.

Another impressive outing from Niemann, who had pinpoint command in this one, throwing 72 of 100 pitches for strikes and issuing no walks. He has quietly ascended the ranks of fantasy starters recently, going 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his last four outings. While his 59/38 K/BB ratio in 99 2/3 innings isn't anything to marvel at, the towering righty has been consistently getting the job done. He's on track to take the hill again July 26 in Toronto vs. a Blue Jays lineup he's fared well against this year.

This was Niemann's second complete-game shutout, with the first occurring over a month ago, June 3, against the Royals. Unsurprisingly, his strikeout total on Friday was his highest since that effort. In between those outings, he fanned seven batters in 23 innings over five outings, including four starts. He still finished the first half in a respectable manner, with an 8-4 record, a 3.73 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.

Niemann didn't exactly overpower the Jays, as he finished with just one strikeout. All the same, it was an impressive performance for the imposing right-hander, who outdueled Toronto ace Roy Halladay. The outing gave Niemann his third straight win and lowered his ERA to 3.95. Still, it was his first quality start since June 3. Inconsistency remains an issue for Niemann heading into his next start against the Rangers in Texas.

Shields won his last start on May 4 against the Royals when he went eight innings, allowing two runs. Statistically, Shields has always been a better pitcher at home, boasting a 24-9 record with a 3.17 ERA in 50 career home starts. On the road, he is 13-19 with a 4.73 ERA in 47 starts. This adjustment will allow Shields to make two starts on the next homestand rather than one. Niemann's last start was on June 3 against the Royals when he allowed just two hits and threw 100 pitches in a complete-game shutout.

OK, so the Royals lineup doesn't keep pitchers from going to sleep at night, but it was a fantastic outing nonetheless by Niemann, who took a perfect game into the fifth inning before a single by Mark Teahen with two outs broke it up. The former first-round Draft pick out of Rice University has looked like a changed man lately, nothing like the guy who couldn't find the strike zone several weeks ago. Look no further than his last four outings, in which the Rays righty allowed just four earned runs in 26 innings, good for a 1.38 ERA, and a 21/3 K/BB ratio. Don't automatically dismiss Wednesday as a fluke because of Niemann's past struggles. If he throws another quality start against the Yankees next time out, expect his popularity to soar.

After a rough start, Niemann has shown glimmers of promise over his last four outings with a 2.86 ERA and a 14/5 K/BB ratio. Consider riding the hot hand when he takes on the light-hitting Royals on Wednesday.

Niemann had caused his fair share of early innings for the Rays bullpen with just 11 1/3 innings of work in his previous three starts. But Monday night he looked like the pitcher the Rays projected him to be when they selected him out of Rice University with the fourth pick of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. The 6-foot-9, 280-pound right-hander chopped his ERA from 5.35 to 4.97. The one piece of bad news was that he allowed two homers, a long-standing problem for the power righty. Take a wait-and-see approach here.