The Rays will trot out their somewhat regular lineup tonight against Boston and knuckleballing nemesis Tim Wakefield, but the Sox unveiled something of a surprise, with David Ortiz getting the night off against Rays ace Scott Kazmir. Instead, they'll have Bobby Kielty hitting third and playing leftfield, with Manny Ramirez as the DH.
The Rays will probably be without closer Al Reyes tonight, since he threw two innings Sunday, but have Dan Wheeler to close if needed.
Not much else new for the Rays, as manager Joe Maddon and executive VP Andrew Friedman spent lots of time talking Monday in driving to and from Port Charlotte for groundbreaking ceremonies for the new spring facility. Among the topics were possible September callups (Maddon said there won't be more than five or six) and going to a six-man rotation (to provide extra rest for Kazmir and James Shields).
Also, former Ray Jorge Cantu got called up to the big leagues by the Reds.
The Rays lineup:
Iwamura, 3b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1B
Young, rf
Harris, 2b
Gomes, dh
Wilson, ss
Paul,c
Joe Maddon, Johnny Damon and Evan Longoria are only some of the Rays you'll meet through our new video interview series. Don't see your favorite player yet? Check back often, as we'll add to the series as the season progresses.
