Update, 6:16 Bad news from the farm, where Double-A Montgomrery LHP Jake McGee, one of the team's top pitching prospects, was placed on the DL with a left elbow strain.
The Rays reassembled in south Florida on Tuesday for the first of three games against the Marlins. INF Ben Zobrist is here, which is important because SS Jason Bartlett is leaving in the morning to return to St. Petersburg for the birth of his first child.
Bigger news might be that 2B Akinori Iwamura probably isn't going anywhere, at least not until Friday, as the hearing for the appeal of his suspension was pushed back from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday at noon. Even if there is no reduction in his three-game suspension, it likely won't take affect until Friday, and that's when Bartlett - assuming all goes well - will rejoin the team.
There has already been some rain, but both teams got to take batting practice on the field, which is something of an upset for this time of year.
Jonny Gomes is in rightfield, and will be again on Thursday when the Rays face another lefty, former teammate Mark Hendrickson. And, of course, they are playing without the DH for this week.
The Marlins made a couple of roster moves, sending down one player from the Tampa Bay area, C Mike Rabelo of Ridgewood High and UT, and calling up ex-Ray C Paul Hoover, who is in the lineup tonight. They also activated LF Josh Willingham.
As for the rest of the lineups:
RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Aybar, 1b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Longoria, 3b
Navarro, c
Gomes, rf
Bartlett, ss
Sonnanstine, p
MARLINS
Ramirez, ss
Hermida, rf
Cantu, 3b
Willingham, lf
Uggla, 2b
Jacobs, 1b
Ross, cf
Hoover, c
Olsen, p
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