Despite the wet fields following a night of heavy rain, the Rays were back at things Sunday for the second full-squad workout, and the second day of live batting practice. Bulleted highlights from the seventh day of camp follow:
- Before Chris Archer, Ernesto Frieri, Mike Montgomery and Jake Odorizzi threw live batting practice, manager Kevin Cash had the squad working on bunting as the primary fundamental of the day.
- Per a tweet from Marc Topkin, Frieri splintered the bat of Tim Beckham on the very first pitch:
First live BP pitch from #Rays Ernesto Frieri splinters Beckham’s bat
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 1, 2015
- Cash plans to use LHP Mike Montgomery in a relief role this spring. Though the team was adamant they wouldn’t be calling upon another lefty to fill a spot in the bullpen left in Jake McGee’s wake (making Jeff Beliveau the only left handed reliever while the Rays closer mends), the use of Montgomery creates an interesting possibility at the start of the season.
- Cash set the rotation for the first three exhibition games: RHP Nathan Karns starts Thursday vs. Baltimore, RHP Matt Andriese starts Friday vs. Minnesota, RHP Alex Cobb starts Saturday vs. Pittsburgh in Bradenton. The starters will work only one inning, two tops, the first time through.
- A known known… Marc Topkin wrote about the open fifth starter spot,
Karns and Andriese are two of the candidates for the open spot in the rotation at the start of the season, along with RHP Alex Colome, who remains delayed by visa issues in the Dominican Republic. RHP Burch Smith is another possibility for that role.
Noteworthiness
- In an attempt to disperse the negatives surrounding Rays president Brian Auld following his glib, arrogant remark to the St. Petersburg City Council in December, Charlie Frago (Tampa Bay Times) wrote an article titled, Tampa Bay Rays president moves past public stumble before City Council. It’s worth a read in the least.