The Tampa Bay Rays will play their final game in a Spring Training stadium this year on Tuesday, as they wrap up a home-and-home series with the Atlanta Braves. Corey Kluber will get the start, taking on Bryce Elder. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
Rays Starting Lineup
Walls SS
Ramirez DH
Choi 1B
Diaz 3B
Kiermaier CF
Mejia C
Phillips RF
Simon 2B
Castellanos LF
Braves Starting Lineup
Rosario RF
Olson 1B
Riley 3B
Ozuna DH
Albies 2B
Duvall CF
Dickerson LF
Swanson SS
Contreras C
Fleming Wins Spot In Rays Bullpen
Left-hander Josh Fleming learned Tuesday that he will not be heading to Triple-A Durham to begin the 2022 season, and instead will work out of the bullpen in the big leagues.
The 25-year-old bounced back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A Durham in 2021, going 10-8 with a 5.09 ERA in 26 appearances, including 11 starts with the Rays. This year in three spring starts, he finished 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA, allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work.
That likely leaves two bullpen spots left to be determined, and as many as four players still left to fill them: right-handers Jason Adam, Ryan Thompson, and Chris Mazza (who is in minor-league camp), and left-hander Colin Poche.
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.