For the first time since the 2019 postseason, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the Houston Astros to Tropicana Field in a rematch of last year’s American League Championship Series. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (1-2, 4.28 ERA) will take on Lance McCullers Jr. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Meadows LF
Margot RF
Lowe 2B
Diaz 1B
Wendle 3B
Zunino C
Kiermaier CF
Tsutsugo DH
Adames SS
Astros Starting Lineup
TBA
COVID Carousel Continues For Rays
For the third time on this homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays had to place one of their players on the COVID-19 injured list due to side effects from taking the vaccination.
Pitcher Rich Hill is the latest member of the team to deal with fatigue and general soreness from taking the vaccine. He follows reliever Diego Castillo, who went on the list for a day at the beginning of the homestand, and 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo, who went on the list Thursday and was activated today.
In addition, reliever Louis Head, who has now been optioned to the alternate training site each of the last two days, was again recalled.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
