Rays RHP Andy Sonnanstine said he dedicated Monday’s start in a Triple-A game to establishing his changeup. And while Sonnanstine’s pitching line didn’t show it (four innings, four runs, five hits, two hit batters and five strikeouts), assistant to the pitching coach Stan Boroski summed up the outing with two words: “ Mission accomplished.”

“I’ve never thrown (the changeup) with that much conviction in my life,” Sonnanstine said. “So I feel really good about it. I felt like I sold it with some good arm action, had good down and away depth to it. Just reading those swings and misses off it were really good confidence boosters."

Sonnanstine said he was looking forward to trying a new grip he learned from RHP Matt Garza’s younger brother, Michael, whom he played catch with at Tropicana Field on the team’s off day.

“He wasn’t telegraphing it, he was throwing with the same kind of intensity, explosiveness, aggressiveness that he was throwing his fastball with,” Boroski said. "And that's all part of the deception."

In other action on the back field at Charlotte Sports Park today:

* OF Matt Joyce went 2-for-5 with a homer and triple in a Double-A game.

*CF B.J. Upton nearly hit for the cycle in the Triple-A game, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, home run (to center) and a walk.

*RHP Dan Wheeler gave up one run on four hits in the Double-A game, striking out three in a 1 2/3 inning outing.