Rays 6/23/14 Starting Lineup
Jennings CF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Guyer LF
Joyce DH
Escobar SS
Kiermaier RF
Hanigan C
Cobb RHP
Noteworthiness
- Alex Cobb will get the start against Edinson Voloquez and the Pirates. Voloquez has been hammered for three or more runs in six of his total 15 outings this season, including last Wednesday when he gave up eight runs on six hits in 2-1/3 innings of work. Voloquez has garnered a reputation of being a pitcher with little control of the zone, this season throwing 30% of his pitches outside of the strike zone. Don’t forget, you can read more about the pitching matchup, and the series, in our series preview.
- Jake Odorizzi’s 10-strikeout, one-hit performance in 7-1/3 innings Saturday gave him an average of 10.55 strikeouts per nine innings. No AL rookie has ever hit that mark over a full season, and only three NL rookies have done so: Tampa native Dwight Gooden, Kerry Wood and Hideo Nomo.
- Per Marc Topkin, “RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) gave up six runs (five earned) in five innings in a rehab start at Triple-A Durham. His 81-pitch outing included one home run allowed, eight hits and seven strikeouts. Hellickson might require one more rehab start before rejoining the Rays. Maddon said he hasn’t yet talked with executive vice president Andrew Friedman about what the team might do to the starting rotation when Hellickson is healthy enough to return. “There’s no rush yet, as far as I’m concerned,” Maddon said.”
- Durant HS pitcher Chelsea Baker will throw some BP to the Rays today, which ESPN plans to show on SportsCenter at 4:30.