Tampabay.com
MAY 03, 2008

Back at Fenway; Upton out

(Update 5:45:)  CF B.J. Upton is not in the lineup tonight, telling manager Joe Maddon he'd benefit from one more day to recover from the left shoulder strain that forced him from Thursday's game. He is available to pinch-hit tonight, and says he expects to play Sunday.
With Upton out, the Rays are forced to use Nathan Haynes in centerfielder and Gabe Gross in right, with Eric Hinske as the DH and No. 3 hitter.

The report on RHP Al Reyes was good, with the Rays saying the MRI showed biceps tendinitis and they expect him to miss only a few weeks at the most. That will depend on how he responds to rest and how he feels when he starts playing catch, probably on Monday.

LHP Scott Kazmir is excited about returning to the mound on Sunday and said feels fine, though figures to be a bit amped up, as he always is pitching at Fenway Park anyway.

The lineup:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Hinske, dh
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Haynes, cf
Bartlett, ss

The good news from Boston is that the all-day rain has subsided, the tarp is off the field and the Red Sox and Rays are expected to start playing on time tonight. The bad news is that the forecast for Sunday is horrible, with an 80-percent chance of rain that is expected to fall much of the day.

The Rays may have an update on RHP Al Reyes, who was to have his right shoulder chekced by Dr. Koco Eaton today in St. Petersburg.

Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours

Advertisement


Meet the Rays

show linked image 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.

Baseball Headlines from AP

Comment Policy

Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that:
Is libelous
Is abusive, harassing, or threatening
Is obscene, vulgar, or profane
Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive
Is illegal or encourages criminal acts
Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution
Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others
Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious)
Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises
The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy.