UPDATE, 11:15: Morton is slated to pitch two innings, but he could pitch into the third inning today if his pitch count allows. In his first spring start, he retired all four hitters he faced on 17 pitches and received the benefit of pitching into a second inning after sitting in the dugout.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said he believed LHP Ryan Yarbrough (groin) will throw off a mound today of Thursday and IF Matt Duffy (hamstring) could resume running our could get an additional day of rest before testing the injury.
OF Joe McCarthy has been shut down for the next few days after the recurrence of a back injury that sidelined him last season while at Triple-A Durham. “It’s kind of disappointing,” Cash said. “I feel bad for Joe because he worked so hard in the offseason to get his core, his back strength. I think he ever dropped some weight, not that he needed to, to take the load off his back.” McCarthy was 3-for-5 this spring.
UPDATE, 10:54: OF Tommy Pham said going on a shoulder program (and thus DHing only for few days) was his idea, not due to injury/discomfort: "It was me being proactive. I didn’t like where my arm strength was so I thought it would be best to say something and get on a program so I could be ready for the season.''
Here are the other Rays pitchers today: Chirinos, Castillo, Stanek, Pagan, Pruitt, Cloyd, Pinto, Krooks, Moats.
Here is the Orioles lineup:
Cedric Mullins cf
Trey Mancini dh
Chance Sisco c
Renato Nunez 3b
Yusniel Diaz rf
Rio Ruiz 1b
Hanser Alberto 2b
Anthony Santander lf
Martin ss
Richie Martin ss
John Means p
DEVELOPING: Free-agent addition Charlie Morton will be on the mound to face the Orioles for the second time in two spring starts on Wednesday when the AL East rivals meet in Port Charlotte.
Tommy Pham, who was scratched from Sunday’s lineup due to a tender right shoulder, is slated to be back in the lineup as the DH, which will be the case for about a week.
The Rays are coming off a long Tuesday, where they had one squad play a day game in Fort Myers (losing 9-2 to the Twins) and another hosting USF at night in Port Charlotte (winning 7-2). They have the annual MLB security meeting on Wednesday morning.
Here is the lineup that was posted in the clubhouse on Tuesday:
Robertson 3b
Pham dh
Choi 1b
Garcia rf
Adames ss
Heredia cf
Bonifacio lf
Perez c
Wong 2b
Morton p
Rays spring info
Today:
vs. Orioles, 1:05; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Rd, Port Charlotte
Pitchers:
RAYS, Charlie Morton; Yonny Chirinos, Ryne Stanek, Diego Castillo, Emilio Pagan, Austin Pruitt, Tyler Cloyd; ORIOLES, John Means, Luis Ortiz, Pedro Araujo, Cody Carroll, Paul Fry, Tanner Scott
TV/Radio: Fox Sports Sun; raysbaseball.com radio
Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297
On deck
Thursday: vs. Blue Jays, 1:05; RAYS, Tyler Glasnow; BLUE JAYS, TBD; raysbaseball.com radio
Friday: at Twins, 1:05 RAYS, Ryan Merritt; TWINS TBD
Saturday: vs. Orioles (ss), 1:05, RAYS, TBD, ORIOLES, TBD; Fox Sports Sun, raysbaseball.com radio
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Explore all your optionsSpring schedule
March
10: vs. Red Sox, 1:05
11: at Phillies, 1:05
12: at Blue Jays, 1:07
13: OFF
14: vs. Phillies (ss), 1:05
15: vs. Tigers (ss), 1:05
at Pirates (ss), 6:05
16: vs. Twins, 1:05
17: at Red Sox (ss), 1:05
18: vs. Pirates, 1:05
19: at Yankees, 1:05
20: OFF
21: vs. Braves (ss), 1:05
at Red Sox (ss), 6:05
22: vs. Pirates, 1:05
23: at Tigers, 1:05
24: at Braves (North Port), 4:05
25: at Phillies, 1:05
26: vs. Tigers (at Tropicana Field), 12:35