The Tampa Bay Rays will look for their third straight Grapefruit League victory and fourth in their last five games with a win over the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday. Left-hander Josh Fleming will get the start, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 from Ed Smith Stadium.
Rays Starting Lineup
J. Lowe RF
Ramirez LF
L. Raley CF
Healy 1B
Mejia C
Walls SS
Mastrobuoni 2B
Infante DH
Orioles Starting Lineup
Mullins CF
Mountcastle 1B
Santander RF
Mancini DH
Hays LF
Odor 2B
Urias 2B
Mateo SS
Chirinos C
Ramirez Gets First Grapefruit League Action
Wednesday will mark the Rays spring debut of outfielder Harold Ramirez, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs Saturday.
The 27-year-old told St. Pete Nine that despite only less than two weeks before the start of the regular season, he feels he can still be ready for April 8 because he played winter ball and particiapted in the Carribbean Series.
Ramirez is expected to see time at all three outfield positions, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to get an inning or two at first base.
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.