The State of the Rays with Two Weeks Left of Spring Training

The scene in Port Charlotte Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Marc Topkin/Tampa Bay Times)
The scene in Port Charlotte Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Marc Topkin/Tampa Bay Times)

Back in February I received an interesting email from a fellow blogger. His challenge, if I chose to accept it: answer six simple questions (below) about the state of the Rays going into Spring Training and the 2014 season.

  1. How would you grade the off-season?
  2. What does Wil Myers do for an encore?
  3. Which roster battle will be the most intriguing during Spring Training?
  4. What rookie, if any, will make the most impact on the team in 2014?
  5. What will be the final record of the team, and where will they finish in the division?
  6. Which player from your team do you most enjoy watching?

Challenge accepted! I made my initial predictions (here and here) with the thought I’d answer the same six questions a month down the line. The aforementioned blogger will be posting my responses on his site as well. Some things have changed, while others have stayed the same. If anything, this was a fun experiment!

How would you grade the off-season?

If you asked me this question during the 2013 Winter Meetings, I’m not certain I would have graded the Rays favorably. After all, there were lingering concerns over David Price’s status with Tampa Bay, and the Rays hadn’t made any significant moves to fill holes in the bullpen and the right-hand side of the infield.  Sure, Friedman and company made a good move by acquiring Heath Bell and Ryan Hanigan. Yet low we sat facing the prospect of having a rent-a-player at first, and no official closer. My how things have changed.

Since the 2013 Winter Meetings, the Rays locked James Loney into a three-year contract, signed utility infielder Jayson Nix to a minor league contract, avoided another round arbitration hearings with seven players (including David Price), acquired five players from the Padres — including Brad Boxberger and Logan Forsythe — in a seven player trade, and brought Grant Balfour back home to the other Bay Area. In short, the Rays went from mediocrity to pretty damn good, as it relates to their off-season moves.

Sure, the Rays didn’t sign a designated hitter. However, allow me to remind you that their last productive DH was Johnny Damon, who slashed .261 BA/.326 OBP/.418/.744 OPS in 2011. He wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination, however, he didn’t fit the mold of what the Rays were looking out of that position. And lest we forget those who came before and after Damon — Pat Burrell and Luke Scott? Need I really say anything about them? The absence of an official DH gives the Rays flexibility. They’ll be able to give Evan Longoria, Wil Myers, Matt Joyce, David DeJesus and Ben Zobrist some time off their feet, while keeping their productive bats in the lineup on a fairly regular basis.

What does Wil Myers do for an encore?

Oh Wil “AL Rookie of the Year” Myers… The player who out performed the ballyhooed Yasiel Puig (considering a shorter stint in the majors in 2013) with half the fanfare, the player whose first major league homer was a grand slam in Yankee Stadium, and the player whose embarrassing error gave the Red Sox a decided advantage in game one of the 2013 ALDS —  what can we expect out of you this year? Warts and all, Myers met most people’s expectations in 2013. With him in the lineup, the Rays were able to push their way into the postseason following a lackluster August.

Most projection sites find Myers regressing in 2014, presumably due to his hard time in making adjustments at the plate — especially on pitches on the outside corner, and inside (and lower) third of the plate.

However, those sites also project that Myers will be more patient at the plate. They find his K% falling anywhere from 1% to 2%, with an increase in his BB%. Regression happens, it’s inevitable. I don’t see him posting the .293 BA/.354 OBP/.478 SLG/.832 OPS he had the year prior. However, I don’t see him regressing to the .264 BA/.334 OPS/.453 SLG/.787 OPS hitter Steamer projects he’ll be. Over the span of his professional career, Myers has averaged somewhere in the ballpark of a .304 batting average, while hitting under .260 only once — in 2011 with the Royals Double-A affiliate, in 416 plate appearances. Unless there is a drastic change in his approach, or he’s unable to adjust to the pitchers — who will, undoubtedly, adjust to him — I really don’t see a reason for the drastic regression in production many have projected. Would I be content with a .286 BA/+.320 OBP/+.800 OPS/+25 HR slash line? Absolutely!

Which roster battle will be the most intriguing during Spring Training?

Prior to the re-signing of Grant Balfour, and the news Jeremy Hellickson would be out until mid-May, it was easy to foresee battles between Heath Bell and Juan Carlos Oviedo for the closer spot, as well as Jeremy Hellickson and Jake Odorizzi for the fifth starter spot. Since Balfour was named as the closer, and the fifth spot has been all but locked up by Jake Odorizzi or Cesar Ramos, the focus now turns to who will get a bench/depth spot on the roster, who will fill the supporting roles in the ‘pen, and what to do with Hellickson once he returns.

Tampa Bay lost bench depth this off-season. First, they chose not to re-sign Kelly Johnson, then they non-tendered Sam Fuld — leaving open a couple of spots on the opening day roster. Granted, in the scheme of things, neither Johnson or Fuld represented consistent productivity in 2013. What they lacked at the plate however, they made up for in the field. Fuld was a capable outfielder, while Johnson was flexible, playing multiple positions. Logan Forsythe and Sean Rodriguez are all but set, leaving three players for the last spot — Brandon Guyer, Jayson Nix, and Wilson Betemit.

Guyer has the advantage in being out of options, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s had a solid spring defensively. In the end, he helps defensively given the Rays’ plans to use their fourth outfielder as the DH.

As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote,

“Nix probably brings the most overall and has drawn Maddon’s praise for his professionalism. Betemit could help the most offensively, and is a switch-hitter, but reported to camp late after missing most of 2013 with injury.”

Picking Nix or Betemit would require a 40-man roster spot since both are on minor-league deals, making Rodriguez the de facto fifth outfielder.

The Rays added a significant amount of pitching depth in the off-season. The back end guys — Jake McGee, Joel Peralta, and Grant Balfour — are already set. It’s looking like Juan Carlos Oviedo is headed for the DL — thanks in part to the visa issues that kept him in the Dominican Republic — while Heath Bell, Cesar Ramos (depending on the fifth starter status) and Brandon Gomes will likely find themselves on the opening day roster. The need for an Alex Torres-like reliever is ever present. With Brandon Boxberger, a pitcher with similar stuff to Torres, headed to Durham, it’s looking like Josh Lueke will fill the empty spot in the ‘pen — at least for the time being.

A caveat: Josh Lueke is more or less the favorite because he is out of options, not because he’s made a strong case for himself in Port Charlotte. Lueke  would more than likely be lost on waivers, or wouldn’t bring much in trade. In previous callups he has been unable to replicate great minor-league success, though the Rays may not be willing to give up on him just yet.

What rookie, if any, will make the most impact on the team in 2014?

Simply put, Jake Odorizzi. Enny Romero could make a dent in things as well. In my opinion, it all depends on two things:

  1. What happens when Hellickson returns.
  2. Whether the rest of the rotation can stay healthy.

What will be the final record of the team, and where will they finish in the division?

The Rays have averaged 91 wins per season since 2008, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t exceed the 90-win plateau in 2014. The pitching staff is strong, the infielders are the same, they acquired a strong catcher in Ryan Hanigan, and the bats in the lineup are solid — as long as Myers, Longo, Zobrist, Escobar, and DeJesus can maintain consistency and productivity.

The question then becomes, how do the other teams fare in the AL East? The Yankees spent a royal boat-load of money in the off-season, spending $503MM on acquisitions. But as Joe Giglio wrote in a piece forBleacher Report,

“Unfortunately for their (Yankees) fans, it’s hard to take an honest look at the roster and peg them for 90-plus wins right now. If Masahiro Tanaka and Jacoby Ellsbury, respectively, perform up to Cy Young and MVP standards, a different picture could emerge by October. For now, the team is only slightly better than the group that won 85 games last season.”

The other teams in the AL East had fairly quiet off-seasons — including the World Series champs. Both the Orioles and Blue Jays have have deep, powerful lineups. Yet, both teams are lacking a high impact starter or two. Then there’s the Red Sox — a team that retained the core nucleus of  their 97 win squad. The question begs, should we expect another dominant season, or will we see a step back from excellence? I think we can expect another competitive season from those mouth breathers in Boston. However, it’s going to be a lot closer of a race in 2014. My prediction: the Rays and Red Sox at the top of the AL East for the second consecutive season.

Which player from your team do you most enjoy watching?

Without a doubt, Ben Zobrist. Alex Cobb, Yunel Escobar, and James Loney run a very close second.

Noteworthiness

  • In related news, Jake Odorizzi told the local press that he feels good about the case he made for fifth starter’s job. He didn’t do anything wrong, and will be disappointed if not picked. Then, there’s Cesar Ramos. Joe Maddon raved about Ramos following his outing against the Twins Thursday night, saying he’s “never seen him that good.” Whatever the case, it could be assumed that Erik Bedard is out of the running for the fifth starter spot, unless he puts up a solid outing Friday.
  • The Rays optioned Brandon Boxberger to Durham Thursday night, while reassigning Christian Figueroa, Jerry Sands, Ali Solis, Steve Geltz, Juan Sandoval, and Adam Liberatore. Their roster now sits at 37 players with just under two weeks left in Spring Training. Joe Maddon said the Rays want Boxberger to work on his fastball command. He also mentioned “the other stuff is extraordinary, the other pitches – his knuckle-curve and his change-up well above average major-league pitches. Fastball command gets better he’s going to be very, very successful.”

 

Wil Myers and Sean Rodriguez Power the Rays Past the O’s By A Score of 7-4

The scene from Ed Smith Stadium, in Sarasota. (Photo, courtesy of Will Vrogovic)
The scene from Ed Smith Stadium, in Sarasota. (Photo, courtesy of Will Vrogovic)

What a difference a couple of days make. Two days ago, Wil Myers was stuck in a Spring Training malaise — striking out more than he hit by a ratio of 6-to-4. Then Joe Maddon did what he is want to do; move the struggling batter to the lead-off spot, and thwack! Myers became uber productive, going (a combined) 5-for-7 with three doubles and a homer in the last two games. Myers lead the Rays to a 7-4 victory against the Orioles Wednesday, in Sarasota.

To say Myers, alone, carried the Rays to victory would be a bit misleading. Sure, a lead-off homer in his first at-bat of the day was pretty impressive. But credit where it’s due, Wilson Betemit and Sean Rodriguez deserve accolades as well. Tampa Bay put up a three-run third inning on Betemit’s RBI double and a two-run homer by SeanRod. Betemit also doubled in a run in the fourth. Myers and Rodriguez were not the only mashers of the day, Jayson Nix hit a solo homer to left, giving the Rays a 7-2 lead by the fifth inning. In all, eight of the Rays 14 hits came in the extra base hit variety.

On the pitching end of things, Mark Lowe pitched 2-1/3 innings of solid ball, allowing two unearned runs and scattering four hits, while striking out one. Jake McGee followed Lowe for two thirds of an inning, inducing a ground-out and a fly-out. Per Joe Smith of the Times, McGee said he felt good in his back-to-back outings, which he noted felt like a game situation when he came in to face slugger Chris Davis.

Meanwhile, in the backfields of Port Charlotte, Chris Archer tossed a 91 pitch (62 strikes) 5-1/3 inning outing, relinquishing three runs on six hits (including a two-run homer) and a walk, while striking out four. Archer was reportedly pleased to work into the sixth inning of a minor-league game Wednesday, though he wasn’t particularly happy with how he did during the 91-pitch outing. He was clocked as high as 96 MPH, but worked primarily in the 93-94 MPH range. Archer said, following his time on the mound,

“I think it was good to not be as emotionally excited to pitch and still do decent. By no means did I do well, but it was a challenge. I don’t want to make that excuse, but it was something I had to be conscious of in thinking. Overall I got to my pitch count, got right to 90 pitches, and got up six times, and that was the goal.”

Grant Balfour also pitched in the backfields, and was pleased with his 12 pitch, 1-2/3 inning outing. Balfour will pitch once more Thursday against the Twins, in his first back-to-back outings of Spring Training.

“There will be a little more intensity and you’re bouncing back with no rest,” Balfour said. “That’s always a good test, see how you’re feeling and stuff.”

Balfour was clocked between 90-91 MPH Wednesday, though that’s not quite indicative of what’s to come. “It’s fine; it is what it is right now,” Balfour noted, though he expects an increase of at least a few miles an hour once the regular season starts due to the adrenaline and emotion he pitches with. “I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’ve done it plenty of times to where I know my body, I know what it does. I’m fine with it.” Balfour went on to say,

“Nothing against being out here, but it is tough to get the adrenaline going,” he said. “With all the emotion it’ll kick into gear in another 10 days and I’ll be right around (92-94 mph).”

The New What Next

LHP Cesar Ramos will start for the Rays Thursday when they host the Twins at Charlotte Sports Park. Tampa Bay took the Knutson Cup from the Twins Tuesday, and look to follow their dominating 11-3 win with another. Ramos is in a three-way battle for the fifth-starter slot with RHP Jake Odorizzi and LHP Erik Bedard. Odorizzi is slated to see action against the Twins, while Bedard will pitch Friday. A decision on who will win the spot is expected Saturday.

Rays 3/20/14 Starting Lineup

Jennings CF
Loney 1B
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Forsythe LF
Escobar SS
Rodriguez RF
Hanigan C
Guyer DH
Ramos LHP

Noteworthiness

  • Matt Joyce left Wednesday’s game as a precaution due to a stiff neck, though he is reportedly fine.

Rays Take the Knutson Cup in 11-3 Throttling, Roster Moves, Etc

Nighttime view from Twins brand new boardwalk at Hammond Stadium. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)
Nighttime view from Twins brand new boardwalk at Hammond Stadium. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)

Prior to Tuesday night, Wil Myers has put together a fairly lackluster spring. He struck out six times while only accruing four hits. All that changed on this fateful eve however. Bumped up to the lead off spot, Myers led the Rays 20-hit offensive charge against the Twins, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs and an RBI. The Rays walked away from Hammond Stadium with the Knutson Cup for the second consecutive year following the 11-3 shellacking of Gardy’s crew.

There was a lot to like about Tuesday night’s game, and an así así like outing by Matt Moore. Read all about the game below, in a segment I like to call the Good, the Bad and the Argyle.

The Good

  • 20 hits, six walks, 11 runs, 11 RBI — eight of which with two-outs, and six extra base hits (all doubles). Whoa! The Rays royally handed it to Minnesota starter Vance Worley, tagging him for seven runs on seven hits in 2-2/3 innings.
  • Wil Myers, Logan Forsythe, James Loney, Desmond Jennings and Jose Molina all put together multi-hit showings at the plate, while Myers, Loney and Jennings accounted for all six of the Rays extra base hits.
  • The Rays hit the ball hard all night, with nary a blooper in their 20-hit attack. They even hit the ball hard when they flew or grounded out. Case in point, Desmond Jennings mashed a hard hit fly-ball to Jason Bartlett in deep center in the top of the sixth. Credit where it’s due, Bartlett made a hell of a running catch on Jennings’ fly-ball out.
  • Two relievers battling it out for a spot in the pen — Brad Boxberger and Brandon Gomes — were sharp, combining for 3-1/3 innings of two hit, four strikeout ball. Better yet, neither pitcher allowed a run, and worked around a walk apiece. Boxberger was particularly good, inducing three ground-outs and striking out a pair of batters.

The Argyle

  • The así así outing by Moore… When looking at the totality of Matt Moore’s outing, a few things stand out. Moore gave up only one run on four hits, and hit the mid to upper 90’s on Hammond Stadium’s radar gun regularly in his 4-1/3 innings of work. That is a far cry from his outing against the Pirates, two starts ago. Rays skipper Joe Maddon liked what he saw out of Moore, saying, “That was best stuff Moore has had since 2011 playoffs start,” in his post-game presser. Marc Topkin went on to tweet,

Screen Shot 2014-03-18 at 11.47.37 PM

However, on the flip side of the coin, Moore lacked control — posting a 52% K/BB ratio, walking six, getting into a good number of deep counts, throwing a wild pitch (his second of the spring) and throwing 98 pitches in just over four innings of work.

“Everything did feel good — minus the six walks, a solid day,” said Moore. “But those are definitely a black mark on today and something we’re going to continue to address. I think only one clean inning there, so definitely something to build on.”

His handful of outings this spring leave many with certain amount of trepidation — after all, Moore threw 17 wild pitches in 2013 and lasted, on average, close to six innings per game. Moore has made mention, on a few different occasions, that he’d like to go deeper into games; a goal which is dependent on better control and pitch efficiency.

The New What Next

Mark Lowe will start for the Rays on Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Sarasota to meet the Orioles. The veteran right-hander is in contention for a bullpen spot. Also scheduled to see action are right-handers Josh Lueke, Steve Geltz and Juan Sandoval, along with left-hander Jake McGee.

Rays 3/19/14 Starting Lineup

Myers RF
Betemit 1B
Joyce LF
Roriguez 2B
Forsythe 3B
Guyer CF
Nix SS
Sands DH
Casali C
Lowe SP

Noteworthiness

  • More roster moves… The Rays reassigned C Eddy Rodriguez and OF Jeremy Moore to minor league camp. 44 players now sit on the roster.
  • Tuesday night’s game was the Rays 12th game this spring that has gone over three hours.
  • The Rays will pick their number five starter after watching Cesar Ramos, Jake Odorizzi and Erik Bedard pitch once more each this week. Of those three, LHP Bedard said if he doesn’t make the Rays rotation he’ll likely exercise a March 31 opt-out clause in the minor-league contract he signed February 14th rather than go to Triple-A, noting the recent bout of injuries to starters around baseball.

“Every day it seems like a starter goes down,” Bedard said. “So there’s a lot of opportunities out there if I’m not on the team.”

  • More on Bedard… Marc Topkin writes, “”Every day it seems like a starter goes down,” Bedard said. “So there’s a lot of opportunities out there if I’m not on the team.'”
  • Chris Archer is scheduled to throw in a minor-league game Wednesday, along with Grant Balfour.

Rays Roll the Red Sox, 8-4, Noteworthiness (Updated)

Evan Longoria, ahead of Sunday's game in Port Charlotte. (Photo courtesy of Marc Topkin)
Evan Longoria, ahead of Sunday’s game in Port Charlotte. (Photo courtesy of Marc Topkin)

Note: I updated this piece after initially publishing it Sunday. Those updates can be seen below, in italicized font.

The Rays are now 11-4-2 in the 2014 Grapefruit League season, following an 8-4 win against Boston, in Port Charlotte Sunday. David Price got his third start of the spring Sunday afternoon — and he did not disappoint. Slashing 6.2 IP/3 H/2 R/2 ER/1 BB/1 HBP/7 K on 91 pitches (61 strikes), the Rays ace was quite whiffy, with five of his seven strikeouts coming in the swinging variety. Price did not get into a three-ball count until the sixth inning.

Though Price was, for all intents and purposes, in regular season form, it would be silly not to acknowledge the fielders behind him. Logan Forsythe played the outfield for the first time of the spring, and came through in the fourth inning with an excellent diving back-handed grab off a Mike Napoli line drive, robbing the Red Sox’s first baseman of an extra base hit. James Loney also made an outstanding diving play ranging to his right, tossing the ball to Price as he made his way to the bag.

“I feel good,” Price said. “I told (pitching coach Jim Hickey) I wish today was Opening Day. … (I) feel good. It’s easy to go out there and put up those kinds of stats whenever your defense is making the plays we made today. Loney, Longo, Zobrist on second, and Logan in left, I don’t know if he’s ever even played left.”

[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/0YPeAXEhxRc”]

I won’t bore you with the all the gory details of the contest. I live-blogged the game at our Tumblr page. Mosey over there for a (fairly) in-depth blow-by-blow account of events as they went down.

Click the screen-shot to be redirected to our Tumblr page, where you can read a blow-by-blow account of Sunday's game.
Click the screen-shot to be redirected to our Tumblr page, where you can read a blow-by-blow account of Sunday’s game.

The New What Next

The Rays will return to action Tuesday after enjoying an off-day on Monday. Matt Moore is scheduled to make his fourth start of the spring, in the third round of the Knutson Classic against the Twins. Moore showed improvement in his last outing when he allowed no runs in a 3-1/3-inning stint against the Pirates on Thursday.

Rays 3/18/14 Starting Lineup

Myers RF
DeJesus LF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Joyce DH
Jennings CF
Escobar SS
Molina C
Moore LHP

Noteworthiness

  • A scoring change took away the error by Will Middlebrooks, giving James Loney five RBI on the day.
  • Changes of plans… Alex Cobb threw 86 pitches in a minor-league simulated game Monday in Port Charlotte. Per Marc Topkin, Cobb said it was good to get work in and battle the elements and atmosphere. Mark Lowe will start against the Orioles Wednesday, not Chris Archer. The Rays’ RHP is now scheduled to throw in a minor league game, along with Grant Balfour.
  • Sean Rodriguez had a tight left hamstring, and is expected to play in a minor league game Tuesday.
  • Joe Maddon said if the Rays players or coaches think play should be challenged, they’ll yell “Wichita! Wichita!” in honor of Peyton’s Omaha.
  • Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” blared over the PA while David DeJesus made his way to the play. DeJesus  followed with an opposite field hit through the hole, moving Hanigan to second. It should be assumed he Rick-Rolled Zach Britton’s pitch.
  • Though Juan Carlos Oviedo arrived at camp this weekend past, Joe Maddon and the Rays acknowledged that it’s “probably a longshot” — though not impossible — for he to be on the opening day roster. As Marc Topkin asserts, “The Rays have reason to be cautious, since Oviedo hasn’t pitched in the majors since September 2011, missing most of that time recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. And though he was throwing regularly in the Dominican Republic during his lengthy visa delay, he wasn’t able to follow the Rays’ usual post-workout arm exercise protocol, so they want him to work through batting practices before getting into game situations.” Incidentally, Oviedo threw 10 minutes of live BP Monday to minor-league hitters.
  • More on Oviedo… The situation above begs the question; Could there be a roster exemption for Oviedo if he is not on the 25-man opening day roster? If not, would he be placed on the restricted list or the DL? The DL would probably be the easiest option even though, technically speaking, he is no longer injured. Then there’s the question of whether the commissioner’s office could/would challenge his placement on the DL? I’d imagine a simple doctor’s note would put an end to any relevant consternation.
  • On the subject of lineup stability in 2014, Marc Topkin all but confirmed that David DeJesus will not get the start against LHP this season, in an interview with WDAE this morning. In a tweet from 620 WDAE,
  • This is a call to all my… I’m putting it into the world once again: we are looking for contributors to X-Rays Spex. Have a decent understanding of Rays baseball in a variety of facets — from sarcastic to Rain Man like knowledge of advanced statistics? Then send us a sample of your writing to: belowaverageraysfansite@gmail.com

Rays Win Two By the Same Score, 6-3, Myers Hurt, Etc

Desmond Jennings on deck in the first inning, in Bradenton, FL. (Photo courtesy of Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Times)
Desmond Jennings on deck in the first inning, in Bradenton, FL. (Photo courtesy of Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Times)

In a bout of deja vu, Tampa Bay swept their split squad games against the Pirates and the Jays Saturday, winning both games by a score of 6-3. “A good day for the Rays,” bench coach Dave Martinez said.

The three pitchers involved in the battle for the fifth starter spot — Erik Bedard, Jake Odorizzi and Cesar Ramos — each pitched Saturday, and each did pretty well.

In his start against the Blue Jays, Bedard got into a bit of trouble in the second inning, allowing a one-out single to Brad Glenn, followed by a Kevin Pillar triple to left. Pillar subsequently scored on a wild pitch (with Dan Johnson at the plate) to put the Blue Jays up, 2-0. But Bedard settled down, slashing 4.1 IP/6 H/3 R/3 ER/0 BB/2 K on 79 pitches (49 strikes). Odorizzi got the start in Bradenton, and gave up one lowly run in 3-2/3 innings of work. He did an excellent job of keeping the ball on the ground, inducing six ground outs while striking out a pair of Pirates. Ramos followed and performed well in his outing, slashing 5.1 IP/4 H/2 R/2 ER/0 BB/2 K. “Odorizzi said he was encouraged how he settled in after (a) rough first inning,” writes Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith. Odorizzi feels “he’s made good case for (the) number five starter (spot).” In the end, Dave Martinez liked what both Jake Odorizzi and Cesar Ramos did today, and because of it, the fifth starter will be a “tough decision.” On to the offensive end of things.

The Rays got on the board against the Blue Jays in the second inning, thanks to Justin Christian who hit a sacrifice fly to left, driving in Logan Forsythe. Tampa Bay blew the game open a few batters later, when Mikie Mahtook mashed a grand slam to left field, on a 1-2 pitch, scoring Ryan Hanigan, Brandon Guyer and Jeremy Moore. Evan Longoria tacked on an insurance run in the fourth on a ground ball to center, scoring Yunel escobar.

In the first inning against the Pirates, Ben Zobrist drove in David DeJesus on a ground out to short, moving Desmond Jennings to third. Then with Matt Joyce batting, Edinson Volquez let loose with a wild pitch and Desmond Jennings came around to give Tampa Bay an early 2-0 lead. The Rays struck again in the top of the second when Cole Figueroa doubled to center, bringing Wilson Betemit home. The hits kept on coming for the Rays in the top of the third, when Matt Joyce singled in Ben Zobrist on a ground ball to right field.

The Rays were quiet until Jerry Sands singled in Leonardo Reginatto and Lucas Bailey on a line drive to left field, giving Tampa Bay a three run advantage they’d never relinquish.

A scary moment came in the third inning when Rays right fielder Wil Myers left the game against the Pirates in pain after fouling a pitch off his right leg. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year suffered a right quad contusion and was removed as a precaution. In an account of the incident, Myers tried to walk it off, getting attended to by athletic trainer Paul Harker. Myers bent over a few times, clearly in discomfort, and was helped into the dugout by Harker.

Though Myers was sore and will likely be out for a few days, he shouldn’t be out long. “I probably would have stayed in if it were a regular season game that meant something,” Myers said. “But just want to be cautious about something like this.” He went on to say, “Might play tomorrow, who knows?”

Myers later tweeted,

The New What Next

David Price will start Sunday afternoon, when the Rays host the Red Sox Charlotte Sports Park. Price, who will be the Rays’ Opening Day starter, will be making his third official start of the spring.

Rays 3/16/13 Starting Lineup

DeJesus CF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Escobar SS
Joyce RF
Betemit DH
Forsythe LF
Hanigan C
Price LHP

Noteworthiness

  • Joe Maddon has been impressed with bullpen candidate RHP Brandon Gomes: “He can’t throw the ball any better than he is right now.”
  • Juan Carlos Oviedo, absent for camp’s first month while dealing with visa issues in the Dominican Republic, finally reported to camp Saturda. “I’m happy to be here. I was waiting for it, I was anxious to be here, but I didn’t know what was going on,” Oviedo said through bullpen mate and interpreter Joel Peralta. “I just trained at home and waited for things to happen.” The Rays medical and training staff were impressed with Oviedo’s throwing session in Port Charlotte Saturday. Maddon said Oviedo, 32, was “on the edge” of having enough time to get ready for the season.
  • Rays say their game Sunday with Red Sox is sold out.