Chirinos is one of several relievers who could be called upon to work extended innings under the Rays' plan to use the bullpen as a de facto fifth starter, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.
Manager Kevin Cash elaborated on his plans for the Rays' pitchers Wednesday, explaining that he plans to utilize a four-man rotation for the entirety of the season if possible and deploy multiple relievers -- Chirinos among them -- as the collective fifth starter on days when one is needed. That leaves Chirinos with the possibility of multiple multi-inning stints over the course of 2018, a role that he would presumably be comfortable in, given his minor-league body of work. The 24-year-old right-hander has logged 58 starts at various stops in the Rays organization, including a career-high 22 at Triple-A Durham in 2017.