Tampa Bay Rays up next: Detroit Tigers

UP NEXT

vs. Tigers

Today through Thursday

What's new: The Rays get their first look of the season at the Tigers (51-46), who have dropped eight of 10 and are banged up in a big way. They've lost RF Magglio Ordonez (fractured right ankle) for 6-8 weeks and are without 2B Carlos Guillen (strained right calf) and 3B Brandon Inge (fractured left hand). They still have Triple Crown candidate 1B Miguel Cabrera and two impressive rookies, OFs Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch, and veteran Johnny Damon.

Key stat: Jackson is on a 10-game hitting streak (20-for-45, .444).

Connections: OFs Matt Joyce and Gabe Kapler and 1B Carlos Peña are former Tigers. Tigers OF Ryan Raburn is a Tampa native.

Series history: The teams will play seven times in the next 17 days. The Tigers lead the all-time series 45-44, and the teams are 22-22 at Tropicana Field.

Joe Smith, Times staff writer