Townsend released by Rays

Pitcher Wade Townsend, who suffered through an injury-plagued and unlucky career since being a first-round pick in 2004, has been released by the Rays.

A review ...
2004 -- drafted in the first round by the Orioles. Negotiations stalled and Townsend, close to graduating from Rice, wants to resume classes. Baseball rules at the time ended a team's draft rights to a four-year college player once he went back to class. In at attempt to go to class and let talks continue, Townsend renounces his amateur status.

Baseball disagreed and said he'd have to re-enter the draft. The NCAA wouldn't let Townsend unrenounce his amateur status.

2005 -- drafted in the first round by the Rays. He signed quickly and pitched at short-season Hudson Valley. That year in the Arizona Fall League, the Rays discovered Townsend had a torn elbow ligament. He missed all of 2006.

2007 -- pitched at low-A Columbus. His year ended in early August when he needed elbow surgery to remove a bone spur.

2008 -- started the year with the Biscuits before being demoted. In the Arizona Fall League, he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him well into this year. (In the non-baseball division, he did win $77,000 in a poker tournament that January.)

2009 -- made three appearances last month for the GCL Rays. The last was Friday when he gave up four runs in one-third of an inning.