The Tampa Bay Rays will look to turn around a two-game skid that ended their latest road trip by welcoming the Baltimore Orioles to Tropicnaa Field for the first of four games beginning Monday night. Right-hander Collin McHugh (4-1, 1.41 ERA) will open tonight’s contest, taking on Matt Harvey (6-11, 6.10 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Lowe 2B
Choi 1B
Margot LF
Meadows DH
Wendle SS
Brosseau 3B
Phillips RF
Kiermaier CF
Mejia C
Orioles Starting Lineup
Mullins CF
Mancini 1B
Santander DH
Hays RF
Stewart LF
Urias 3B
Mateo 2B
Wynns C
Martin SS
Rays Make Handful of Roster Moves Monday
The Rays have made a number of roster moves prior to the start of Monday’s contest to bolster the pitching staff. First they selected the contract of right-hande Chris Ellis fro Triple-A Durham, optioning left-hander Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Durham and transferring fellow righty DJ Johnson to the 60-day injured list to make room on the roster.
Ellis had struggled at Triple-A this year, amassing a record 1-5 and a 6.32 ERA with the Bulls in 15 appearances, including 13 starts. He has just one big league appearance, pitching a scoreless ninth inning for the Kansas City Royals on March 31, 2019. The 28-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Rays on December 31, 2020.
Tampa Bay also placed Matt Wisler on the 10-day injured list Monday afternoon with what the team is calling right middle finger inflammation.
Wisler worked the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday against Minnesota, taking the loss in the 5-4 decision by the Twins.. In 24 appearances since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, the 28-year-old reliever is 2-3 with a 1.98 ERA.
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.