The Tampa Bay Rays can earn their third straight win against the Oakland Athletics, and take a series victory from the American League West leaders with a win Thursday. Left-hander Shane McClanahan, making his big-league regular season debut, will take on Chris Bassitt. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Kiermaier CF
Lowe 2B
Arozarena LF
Meadows DH
Wendle 3B
Brosseau 1B
Mejia C
Adames SS
Phillips RF
Athletics Starting Lineup
Canha LF
Laureano CF
Lowrie DH
Olson 1B
Chapman 3B
Murphy C
Piscotty RF
Andrus SS
Kemp 2B
Yoshi To Miss Thursday After Vaccination
The Rays also placed 1B/OF Yoshi Tsutsugo on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday with side effects from taking the COVID vaccination.
Prior to an 0 for 3 night Wednesday, Tsutsugo appeared to be emerging from what has been a season-long slump. He had hit safely in six of his previous eight contests with a slash line of .261/.320/.345.
To take Tsutsugo’s spot on the active roster, reliever Louis Head, who was sent to the alternate training site after Wednesday’s win, was 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.
