Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi began his rehab assignment coming back from arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday, playing first base for the top minor-league affiliate, the Durham Bulls in their opener against Memphis.
Choi, who went under the knife March 31, played five innings at first base against the Redbirds, and got three turns at the plate, going 0 for 2 with a strikeout but also driving in a run with a sacrifice fly. Because he didn’t have a Spring Training, it’s unlikely that he’ll play two straight days in the field.
Franco Makes A Splash After Rain Delay
The Bulls and Redbirds did not begin their 2021 season until after 8:30 Tuesday night thanks to a rain delay of nearly two hours, but that didn’t top top prospect Wander Franco from making a great impression on his new team and teammates.
Franco, making his Triple-A debut and playing in his first regular season game since the end of the 2019 Florida State League season, had three hits, including an RBI triple, drove in a pair, and scored a run himself in Durham’s 7-5 win.
May we interest you in Wander Franco’s 1st career Triple-A hit? pic.twitter.com/4DjazLnZ72
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) May 5, 2021
The 20-year-old is the consensus top prospect in all of Major League Baseball for the second consecutive season.
Rain Postpones Biscuits, Hot Rods Openers
The Bulls were not the only affiliate that dealt with the weather Tuesday, as both the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, playing their first season in High-A after the minor league realignment, saw their openers get postponed due to rain.
Sigh… nvm… Biscuits opener in Tennessee postponed until tomorrow… ☹️ https://t.co/q6DYrXSIyM
— Montgomery Biscuits (@BiscuitBaseball) May 4, 2021
We’ve waiting 606 days for MiLB baseball, what’s one more day?
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/T8x3wsWzmG
— BG Hot Rods (@BGHotRods) May 4, 2021
Charleston Makes Successful Rays Debut
The Charleston Riverdogs, the new Low-A affiliate for the Rays, also won their opener, taking a 6-3 win over Myrtle Beach.
Charleston used a five-run third inning, including the first of two homers by Brett Wisely, to bust the game open.
WATCH: 🔔🔔🔔DINGER TIME!!!🔔🔔🔔 The 1st @ChasRiverDogs HR in 2021!! @brettwisely blasts one to give Charleston the lead @Live5News pic.twitter.com/iyVvrcJVXr
— Kevin Bilodeau (@KevinLive5) May 5, 2021
Alika Williams, one of Tampa Bay’s two first-round picks in 2020, made his professional debut and got his first hit, a double, and scored his first run in the inning.
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.
