Grant Balfour left the Rays' spring camp Wednesday to attend to his ailing father in Australia, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Balfour left the Rays' spring camp Wednesday to attend to his ailing father in Australia, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis:

Balfour's father has been battling cancer, so look for the team to give the pitcher as much time as he needs to be with his family. Once he returns to spring training, he'll slot back into the competition for the closer's role, which also includes Brad Boxberger, Ernesto Frieri, and Kevin Jepsen. Given that Balfour's poor performance cost him the ninth-inning gig last season, it's difficult to imagine him reclaiming those duties unless he shows a dramatic improvement with his command, which betrayed him far too often in 2014.