The Rays flew into Texas for a three game set against the Rangers following the royal 13-0 shellacking at the hands of the Indians Sunday. Jeremy Hellickson will try to right the ship opposite of Alexi Ogando in the 8:05 meeting. In case you missed it, you can read our series preview here.
Rays 4/8/13 Starting Lineup:
Jennings CF
Fuld LF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Joyce RF
Escobar SS
Loney 1B
Molina C
Johnson DH
Hellickson RHP
Noteworthiness:
- The Rays bus was in a small accident on the way to the Rangers facility Monday. Thankfully the accident was minor and no one was hurt.
- Another day, another lineup. As of Sunday, Tampa Bay Rays skipper Joe Maddon utilized six different lineups in the first six games of the season. Shocker, I know.
- Another fun fact: The Rays are 0-8 with the bases loaded thus far in 2013, and 0-10 extending back to 2012.
- Happy birthday to Jeremy Hellickson, he turns 26 today. As per Marc Topkin, Rays starters are 4-1 when getting a start on their birthdays, including Hellickson in 2012 vs the Yankees.
Roster Moves:
Both C Stephen Vogt and C Robinson Chirinos have been acquired by the A’s and Rangers respectively. You may recall that both players were DFA’d prior to opening day in order to make room on the 40-man roaster for Shelley Duncan and Jamey Wright.
As per MLB Trade Rumors,
Vogt, 28, saw time in 18 games for the Rays last season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Durham where he hit .272/.350/.424 in 94 games. The catcher was the Rays’ 12th round pick in the 2007 draft and has spent his entire career in the Tampa Bay organization until now.
Chirinos, 28, missed the entire 2012 season after suffering a concussion. In 2011, he hit .259/.343/.376 in 319 Triple-A plate appearances, a disappointing offensive season after a breakout 2010 factored into the Rays acquiring him from the Cubs as part of the Matt Garza trade. After 2010, Baseball America wrote that Chirinos “always had shown an ability to handle the bat and control the strike zone, and now he has developed power to all fields.” They also praised his work behind the plate.
Both players were acquired for a player to be named later, or in the case of Vogt and/or cash considerations. Chirinos will go on the Rangers 40-man roster but will be in Triple-A, so he will not face the Rays this week.