The Tampa Bay Rays will look to end what has become a five-game Grapefruit League losing skid Monday, when the Boston Red Sox come to Charlotte Sports Park. Joe Ryan will get the start, taking on Nick Pivetta. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
Rays Starting Lineup
Arozarena DH
B. Lowe LF
Diaz 3B
Meadows RF
Tsutsugo 1B
Wendle 2B
Kiermaier CF
Zunino C
Adames SS
Red Sox Starting Lineup
Arroyo SS
Verdugo CF
Martinez LF
Renfroe RF
Chavis 1B
Dalbec 3B
Plawecki C
Casas DH
Arauz 2B
Rays Make First Camp Cuts
Manager Kevin Cash announced Monday that the first cuts to the team’s Spring Training roster were made prior to the game. The cuts include two of the Rays’ top prospects in shortstop Wander Franco and pitcher Shane Baz, who were both reassigned to minor-league camp.
“Innings are becoming a little thinner now because we’ve got to get guys stretched out,” Cash said. “Our position player core group is going to start playing deeper into ballgames.”
Also being reassigned to minor league camp were pitchers Phoenix Sanders and Tyler Zombro, catcher Blake Hunt, infielders Xavier Edwards and Greg Jones, and outfielders Moises Gomez and Garrett Whitley.
Phillips To Have MRI On Hamstring
Outfielder Brett Phillips is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left leg after tweaking his left hamstring scoring on Kevan Smith’s base hit Sunday against Atlanta.
“I don’t think he was too much point-tender,” Cash said. “But still, it was sore. [It’s] something that we need to make sure and check out.”
The MRI will allow the team to determine how much time Phillips could miss.
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.