Rays' Forsythe, Kiermaier feel okay day after collision

ST. PETERSBURG — Though a bit banged up and bruised, 2B Logan Forsythe and CF Kevin Kiermaier felt better than expected after Friday's collision and are hoping to return to the Rays lineup today.

Manager Kevin Cash is thinking the same way, saying after Saturday's 7-2 win over the White Sox that Forsythe is a go and he would make a final check with Kiermaier, feeling they don't need to take advantage of Monday's off day to rest them until Tuesday.

Kiermaier took the worst of the fourth-inning collision in pursuit of a shallow fly ball, complaining of enough of a headache that the team put him through concussion testing protocol, which he said he passed.

"Most of it was whiplash, body just went a lot of different ways in a short amount of time," Kiermaier said. "A lot of violence when me and Logan hit each other. … It could have been a lot worse — two pretty good-sized bodies, and both running with a lot of steam. I'm just glad nothing serious happened out of this."

Kiermaier said it was the first collision he has been involved in, and he wasn't happy about it. "It could have been avoided if I would have called it earlier or just let Logan catch it," he said. "But it happened and I learned from it."

Kiermaier said he also has been dealing with "a sickness" the past few days that left him feeling weak.

Forsythe, who said he also feared worse at the time, ended up with a sore left hip and leg. "Everything is bruised up, but I don't think it's anything more extreme than that," he said.

SPECIAL K: Even though Kiermaier didn't play, he was on the field for a pregame presentation of the Gold and Platinum Gloves he won for last season's outstanding defense.

"All the accolades I have received over the last few years have been really special to me," he said. "And to have these beautiful Gold and Platinum Gloves in my hands will be a very satisfying moment."

The Gold Glove will be displayed this season in the Trop's Ted Williams Hall of Fame. Kiermaier is deciding whether to keep the Platinum Glove in the clubhouse or take it to his Tampa condo.

SOMBER SOUZA: OF Steven Souza Jr. was visibly shaken Friday when a fan had to be hospitalized after being struck by his foul ball, leading the Rays to add extra netting. But he felt better after hearing she was in stable condition. (Story, 3B.)

"The encouragement that I got from the fans and from the people that were close to me was amazing, and that really lifted my spirits," Souza said. "I just prayed for her (Friday) night, hoping that everything goes well."

Cash said he checked in via text Saturday morning with Souza, who was on a previously scheduled visit to All Children's Hospital, to see how he was doing after "a rough" night before putting him in the lineup. "He's a caring guy, and you could tell it definitely rattled him quite a bit," Cash said.

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PITCHING IN: The rotation is again in a bit of flux as the team will need a fifth starter this week, then potentially not again until mid May. LHP Drew Smyly and RHP Chris Archer are set for Tuesday and Wednesday in Boston. RHP Jake Odorizzi is in line for Thursday's matinee, but Cash said that was not definite. One option is having RHP Erasmo Ramirez start again.

MISCELLANY: Brandon Guyer, starting in center for Kiermaier, was hit by LHP Dan Jennings, the AL-most 26th time Guyer has been hit since the start of last season, 21 by lefties. … The Rays temporarily lost their catching depth at Triple-A Durham as Luke Maile went on the seven-day DL with a hamstring issue; Carlos Corporan, acquired April 2 from the Yankees, is now next in line. … Players were sporting "Wayne 3:16" T-shirts made for Steve Pearce, whose middle name is Wayne, based on his resemblance to former wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.