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TNWN: Rays vs Yankees — a series preview

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Kevin Kiermaier went 1-for-2 with an RBI in the series finale against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The top two teams in the AL East are set to open up a three-game weekend series at Tropicana Field when the Tampa Bay Rays face the New York Yankees for the first time this season, starting Friday night. Tampa Bay took two-of-three from Arizona, although they missed an opportunity to sweep the Diamondbacks when they fell 3-2 in 13 innings on Wednesday. The Yankees took three-of-four from the Mariners.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Rays were handed just their second defeat in the last six games, finishing their marathon 13-inning contest with eight hits and a whopping 23 strikeouts. Tommy Pham was the only player with two hits in the ballgame, while Tampa Bay went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Still, the Rays averaged 6.67 runs per game over the life of the series, while the pitching staff allowed seven runs total over the previous three days.

Outfielder Austin Meadows (thumb sprain) is expected to be activated from the Injured List and back in the lineup on Friday. Prior to the injury, Meadows was hitting .351 with six home runs, 19 RBI and a fantastic 1.097 OPS. To create space on the 25-man roster, the Rays optioned rookie 1B/DH Nate Lowe, who hit .257 with one RBI across nine games, back to Triple-A Durham.

However, the team is still sorting out the catching situation, with the potential for Mike Zunino to be placed on the IL after he left Wednesday’s game due to quad tightness.

If Zunino is out for an extended amount of time, Tampa Bay will have to make another roster move, with Anthony Bemboom the most likely candidate for promotion — a move that would leave them with a very inexperienced duo of backstops; he and Nick Ciuffo. The 29-year-old Bemboom signed as a minor-league free agent this past offseason after he spent 2-1/2 seasons at Triple-A with the Rockies and Angels organizations. He has no big league experience.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

New York won the season series last season, 10-9, but Tampa Bay won six of the 10 meetings at Tropicana Field.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will lean on Tyler Glasnow (6-0, 1.47 ERA), Yonny Chirinos (4-1, 3.52 ERA) — pitching in the bulk inning role — and Blake Snell (3-3, 3.62 ERA). Aaron Boone will counter with Domingo German (6-1, 2.35 ERA), CC Sabathia (2-1, 3.20 ERA), and Masahiro Tanaka (2-3, 3.77 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tyler Glasnow allowed just three hits while striking out eight batters across seven scoreless innings against the Orioles. The right-hander didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning en route to his sixth win of the season. Glasnow is undefeated with a pristine 1.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 6.57 K/BB across seven starts this season.

Domingo German allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven over 6-2/3 innings against the Twin. German worked around seven base runners thanks in part to 21 called strikes. The right-hander has been great this season, and his 2.72 FIP suggests that his 2.35 ERA could stick. German relies primarily on a 94 mph four-seam fastball with slight arm side run and a whiffy 82 mph 12-6 curveball, while also mixing in a firm 88 mph worm-killer changeup and a 94 mph sinker with obvious tail. He is 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA in three games (two starts) against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Kevin Kiermaier (1-3, 3B), Brandon Lowe (1-1)

Yonny Chirinos took a hard-luck loss against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits across 7-1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one. Chirinos was used as a traditional starter and ended up delivering a quality start for the Rays. The right-hander has pitched well with a 3.52 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 4.14 K/BB over 38-1/3 innings, with most of his damage coming in one outing in which he allowed six runs over 2-1/3 innings (April 12).

CC Sabathia gave up three earned runs on five hits over five innings while striking out five and walking three against the Mariners. The swarthy southpaw wasn’t particularly efficient, needing 99 pitches to make it through five innings, yet he was able to pick up his second victory of the season thanks to a lot of early run support. Sabathia has posted solid ratios over his five 2019 starts, performing to a 3.20 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP across 25-1/3 innings. Sabathia relies primarily on an 89 mph cutter with strong cutting action and an 80 mph sweeping slider, while also mixing in an 89 mph sinker, and a whiffy 83 mph worm-killer changeup. Sabathia is 17-16 with a 3.67 ERA in 48 career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-8, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (5-16, 2 HR, 2 RBI), Mike Zunino (5-11, HR, RBI, BB)

Blake Snell bounced back from a pair of tough outings and cruised to his third win of the season. Snell gave up just one hit and no walks while striking out nine across six scoreless innings. The southpaw induced 19 swinging strikes (61 strikes overall, a 71% strike rate and a 31% SwStr%) on 86 total pitches. It was a phenomenal performance by Snell, who posted a 12.79 ERA in his first two starts since returning from the IL because of a fractured toe. He is now 3-3 on the season with a respectable 3.62 ERA and 5.56 K/BB over seven starts this season.

Masahiro Tanaka gave up two earned runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings on Tuesday against the Mariners. He struck out four and walked two. Tanaka struggled in his previous two starts, but he was sharp against Seattle. The right-hander carries a 3.64 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with a 2.86 K/BB across 45-1/3 innings. He relies primarily on an 84 mph slider with glove-side cut and two-plane movement, a whiffy 92 mph four-seam fastball, and a firm 88 mph splitter with arm side fade. Tanaka is 8-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (2-7, 2B, RBI), Avisail Garcia (4-13, 2B, RBI), Guillermo Heredia (1-4), Kevin Kiermaier (7-23, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Brandon Lowe (2-4, 2B), Tommy Pham (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 BB), Daniel Robertson (1-4, 2B, BB), Mike Zunino (5-16, 2 2B, HR, RBI)

The New What Next: Athletics vs Yankees — a Wildcard game preview

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The AL Wildcard game takes place Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. (Photo Credit: Oakland Athletics)

The New York Yankees will host the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wildcard game Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. Oakland will send right-hander Liam Hendriks to the mound as the opener, while New York will oppose with right-hander Luis Severino. Each team won three games in the 2018 season series.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Athletics were 34-36 (.486) at the conclusion of play on June 15, and 11 games out in the Wildcard race. Yet from that point on they went 63-29 (.685) and ended up seven games ahead of the third place team in the Wildcard race (the Rays).

The keys to their success? The bullpen — like the Rays, Athletics manager Bob Melvin utilized the opener/long reliever model to great effect — and a high slugging powered offense. Oakland ranked second in the big leagues in doubles (322) and extra-base hits (569), third in home runs (227), fourth in runs (813) and slugging (.439), and fifth in OPS (.764).

True, the Yankees have scored more runs and hit more homers than the Athletics, yet they are a single faceted team in a sense because they depend heavily on the home run. Because of it, they can be pitched to and tend to strike out a lot. Expect Melvin to lean on groundball hurlers that can keep the ball in the park.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Oakland has averaged 5.02 runs per game this season, ranking fourth in all of baseball, while the pitching staff features a 3.81 team ERA, good for 11th in the Majors.

New York’s powerful lineup averaged 5.25 runs per game this season, ranking second in the big leagues. However, the Yankees have underperformed the Athletics in the second half of the season.

Pitching Probables

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Liam Hendriks served as an opener in eight of his 25 regular-season appearances, logging a 2.08 ERA and 2.33 K/BB across 8-2/3 innings in those outings. Hendricks has worked to a 0.00 ERA/2.06 FIP/0.190 OBA/.250 BABIP/0.79 FIP over the last 14 days, with a 56.3 GB% and a 37.5% FB%. He has not given up a homer over that stretch (6-1/3 innings overall). Hendriks is 2-2 with a 6.32 ERA in career nine appearances (two starts) against the Yankees. Key Matchups: Greg Bird (1-2, 2B), Brett Gardner (1-2), Didi Gregorious (1-2), Andrew McCutchen (2-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI), Giancarlo Stanton (1-2)

Oakland will use its bullpen for the entire game. After Hendriks, the Athletics could turn to either Mike Fiers or Trevor Cahill in a long relief role. Fiers had been solid across 30 starts this season, performing to a 3.56 ERA, while Cahill registered a 3.76 ERA across 110 innings of work. The A’s bullpen ranked third in the big leagues with a terrific 3.37 ERA on the season.

Luis Severino had some rough patches this season yet still finished the season with a 3.39 ERA, backed up by excellent strikeout (28.2%) and walk (5.9%) rates. He finished the season strong, allowing just four runs in 17-2/3 innings over his final three starts. He’ll look to shake the memory of his performance in last season’s AL Wildcard game against Minnesota when he allowed three runs while getting just one single out. Severino is 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics. Key Matchups: Matt Joyce (1-4, 2 BB), Ramon Laureano (1-2, 2B), Jed Lowrie (6-11, 3 RBI), Jonathan Lucroy (1-2), Chad Pinder (1-4, RBI), Stephen Piscotty (1-2, 2 RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Congratulations to Colorado for a big, extra-inning NL Wildcard win on Wednesday. The Rockies will move on to yet another area code (but same time zone) where they’ll face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

LBWMF: Rays hold on for 7-6 win over the Yankees in wild ballgame

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Back-to-back exciting games has Willy and Blake like… (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Another wild one at the Trop last night, as the Tampa Bay Rays staved off the mighty New York Yankees in their 41st one-run game of the season. The Rays held on to a 7-6 victory, and are now 18-23 in one-run affairs.

Tampa Bay got on the board in the first inning after Jake Bauers hit a two-out double to right, off the top of the wall. With Ji-Man Choi at the plate, Severino uncorked a passed ball which Gary Sanchez lallygagged after. Bauers took advantage of Sanchez, scoring all the way from second base to score the game’s first run. It was a heads-up play by the rookie who easily could have settled for just moving up 90 feet.

Everything was right in front of me there, Bauers said after the game. I saw it kick pretty far away. Hustled to get to third, then once I got to third, I saw that tight window that was there and decided to take a chance. In the first inning, I would have told you that hits off Severino are hard to come by so you have to take a chance when you get one.

Meanwhile, Hunter Wood opened the game. And while he was tagged for one run, that probably shouldn’t be held against his line. In the second inning, Giancarlo “doubled,” and by that I mean Kevin Kiermaier lost the ball in the rubbed up baseball colored roof. Three batters later, Stanton came around to score on Miguel Andujar’s two-strike, two-out single to center. When you leave a hanging breaking ball over the plate, expect it to be hit.

Matt Andriese followed Wood for 3-2/3 innings, and looked pretty good. Andriese scattered three hits and fanned five, keeping the game tied through the fifth, when the Rays struck for three runs.

Jesus Sucre went down swinging on three pitches for the first out of the inning, yet Kevin Kiermaier and Matt Duffy hit back-to-back with singles (to center and left, respectively), bringing Bauers to the plate. Severino left a hanging slider over the heart of the plate, and Jake responded by sending the mistake pitch to deep right field for a three-run lead. Nevertheless the Yankees cut into that lead with a two-out rally a half inning later.

After Stanton reached on a single to right, Sunday’s hero Daniel Robertson committed an error that both allowed Aaron Hicks to reach base, and for Stanton to move into third. Rays manager Kevin Cash called upon the hard throwing Diego Castillo to get the final out of the frame, yet he promptly uncorked a passed ball, scoring Stanton. Three pitches later, Sanchez hit a 2-2 single to left field, bringing New York within one. but Greg Bird grounded out on the very next pitch, ending the threat.

With penance on his mind, Robertson led off the bottom of the sixth with a one-run homer to left field, atoning for his error.

The Rays weren’t done though. Mallex Smith doubled, Willy Adames singled, and Tampa Bay chased Severino after allowing double-digit hits for the first time in over two years (April 8, 2016 vs. Detroit). Jesus Sucre singled home Smith with Chad Green on the mound, and Matt Duffy plated a run on a fielder’s choice to short, giving the good guys a 7-3 advantage.

Not content with a four-run lead and the promise of a non-nailbiter of a game though, the Rays sent four different pitchers to the mound in the top of the seventh, as Castillo walked a pair, Jaime Schultz walked Aaron Judge to load the bases, Adam Kolarek got a ground out which plated a run, and Ryne Stanek allowed a two-run single before striking out Hicks to end the inning.

The Rays went quietly in the bottom of the frame, while Jose Alvarado — who got the final out of the eighth — again took the mound in the ninth with Sergio Romo out with the flu. That set up a wild end to the game.

As he is wont to do, Brett Gardner led off the inning with an infield hit. Judge was next, walking on six pitches including a wild pitch by the shockingly erratic southpaw. With the left-handed hitting Didi Gregorius stepping into the batter’s box, Aaron Boone called for a sacrifice bunt, which one one hand allowed both runners to move into scoring position, but on the other hand gave the Rays their first out and opened up first base. Instead of facing Stanton, who had reached base each of his past 10 plate appearances against Tampa Bay, Cash called for an intentional walk, setting up the double play opportunity.

Hicks followed with an RBI or bust opportunity, however, he grounded a ball to Duffy, who fired home to cut down the runner (Gardner) and keep the Yankees off the board.

Finally, with two outs and the bases loaded, Sanchez represented New York’s last opportunity to at least pull even on the ledger. With a 1-1 count, Sanchez grounded a ball to the left side of second base, but because of the shift Robertson made the play. For whatever reason, Robertson flipped the ball to Adames, who had a lot of ground to cover as he made his way across the diamond toward second base, subsequently allowing Hicks to beat him to the bag. And while it appeared as though the Yankees had tied the game, Adames made a heads up play, recognizing that Sanchez was lackadaisically making his way to first base. Adames fired over to Bauers, and got the final out of the wild contest.

Extremely heads-up, extremely heads-up, said Bauers of Adames’ play. That’s how you win games right there, with plays like that. He’s the guy who is going to make plays like that.

The New What Next

The Rays are expected to recall right-hander Yonny Chirinos (0-1, 3.71 ERA) from Triple-A Durham ahead of Tuesday night’s game. He will get the start opposite of Masahiro Tanaka (7-2, 4.54 ERA). To make room for Chirinos on the roster, LHP Adam Kolarek was optioned back to Durham.

Yonny Chirinos made six appearances (five starts) for the Rays in 2018, and sits with a 3.71 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 24 strikeouts over 26-2/3 innings. It will be his first big league start since April 28 when he was placed on the DL with a flexor tendon strain in his elbow. He later found himself on the shelf in Triple-A with a shoulder injury. He threw five innings his last time out for Durham, allowing three runs (two earned) against Buffalo.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while fanning five over 6-1/3 innings on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision. The right-hander gave up a two-run lead in the fourth inning after surrendering a home run to Edwin Encarnacion. In spite three straight solid performances (six runs allowed over 15-2/3 innings), Tanaka doesn’t have a win to show for his efforts. The splitter throwing Tanaka has not faced the Rays this season. He has a 7-2 record against Tampa Bay in 11 career starts, but with a 4.10 ERA, and is 3-2 with a 5.96 ERA in five starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3), Matt Duffy (1-3), Carlos Gomez (3-10, 2B, RBI, BB), Adeiny Hechavarria (3-5, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (7-15, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Daniel Robertson (1-1, 2B), Jesus Sucre (1-2, 2B, RBI)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Yankees part four — a series preview

Rays 7/24/18 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Duffy 3B
Bauers LF
Cron 3B
Choi DH
Robertson 2B
Smith RF
Adames SS
Sucre C
Chirinos

The New What Next: Twins Vs. Yankees — an American League Wildcard Game preview

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The 2017 MLB Postseason is upon us!

The 2017 MLB Postseason kicks off tonight when the New York Yankees host the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wildcard Game in the Bronx. Paul Molitor will hand the ball to 34 year old right-hander Ervin Santana, while 23 year old right-hander Luis Severino will take the mound in his first postseason appearance. The Yankees won the season-series, 4-2, including a three-game sweep of the Twins toward the end of September. 

The winner of the Wildcard Game will move on to face the number one seeded team in Cleveland.

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Brian Dozier was the offensive leader for Minnesota this season, collecting a .269 average with 34 home runs and 93 RBI. Dozier fared well against the Yankees this season, going 6-19 but with just one RBI. Miguel Sano was activated from the disabled list last weekend and could add some thump to the lineup for this one. The slugger belted two homers and collected four RBI in three-games against the Evil Empire in 2017.

Minnesota ranked seventh in the majors after they averaged 5.03 runs per game, combining to hit .260 as a team. 

Aaron Judge will be in the spotlight after he put together a phenomenal rookie campaign in which the 25 year-old slugger paired 52 homers with 114 RBI. Judge damaged the Twins in six games, going 6 of 19 at-bats with two home runs and six RBI. Judge, however, can be pitched to; the Rays were incredibly successful against Judge because they kept the ball at the bottom of the zone and on the outside corner. Thanks to his time with the ChiSox, Todd Frazier is very familiar with Minnesota. Frazier went 5-39 with four RBI against the Twins this season, and belted two homers with three RBI in 21 career at-bats against Santana.

The Bronx Bummers ranked second in the majors after they averaged 5.30 runs per game, combining to hit .262 as a team. 

(Stats: FanGraphs)

The Twins 4.59 team ERA is worrisome, placing them in the bottom third in the Major Leagues. The Yankees pitching staff, on the other hand, was terrific, performing to a 3.73 team ERA — ranking them fifth in the big leagues.

As Adam Rauzino (Winners and Whiners) noted, Ervin Santana has been outstanding on the road this season, going 10-3 with a stifling 2.71 ERA in his 17 road starts. Furthermore, Santana has pitched well against the Yankees over the last three seasons, limiting them to 10 runs (nine earned) in 25.2 innings which equates to a solid 3.16 ERA. The Twins did score three runs in three innings against Severino this season, plus the Twins feature solid Postseason experience as Santana and Mauer have seen action in the playoffs.

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Pitching Matchup

Santana will make his ninth career postseason appearance. The right-hander turned in an excellent season, performing to a 16-8 record and a 3.28 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP over 211-1/3 innings of work. He was solid in his lone start against New York, limiting the Yankees to just two runs over 5-2/3 innings in a game Minnesota lost 2-1. The 34 year-old has struggled against the Yankees over his career, going 6-10 with a sub-optimal 5.66 ERA in 20 career starts. He, however, has limited the Yankees to only 10 runs (nine earned) in 25-2/3 innings of work over the last three seasons. Santana has struggled in his postseason career, notching a poor 5.56 ERA in 22-2/3 innings. Key Matchups: Greg Bird (2-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (10-34, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Brett Gardner (11-31, 3 2B, 2 BB), Chase Headley (4-13, 2B), Matt Holiday (2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Aaron Judge (1-3, HR, RBI), Austin Romine (2-3, 2B, RBI)

Severino will make his first career postseason appearance after he turned in a solid 2017 campaign. The right-hander accompanied a 14-6 record over 31 starts with an impressive 2.98 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He made one career start against Minnesota on September 20, allowing three runs over three innings in a game the Yankees won 11-3. Severino has amassed 230 strikeouts over 193-1/3 innings, resulting in a 10.71 K/9 ratio. Key Matchups: Jason Castro (1-1), Brian Dozier (1-1, BB), Joe Mauer (1-2, RBI), Jorge Polanco (1-2, 2 RBI), Kennys Vargas (1-1)

Rays set to take on Orioles and Yankees on Tuesday; Archer returns from WBC

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Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer looks on during a Pool C game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic against Columbia at Miami Marlins Stadium on Friday in Miami. (Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Rays will play their first split squad game of the spring today, with one squad heading to Sarasota to take on the Orioles and the other staying in Port Charlotte to host the Yankees.

First, a little house keeping

— Mallex Smith made an outstanding catch to rob Joe Mauer of a home run in the first inning of Tuesday’s contest against the Twins.

Smith also pushed a bunt past the Twins third baseman for a leadoff single, drew an errant pickoff throw to first (that was mishandled) which allowed him to move up to second, advanced to third on a fly-ball to right and finally scored on a sacrifice-fly to center.

Rays manager Kevin Cash was complimentary of Smith for his work on bunting.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player work that hard at it. So he’s pretty special in that regard.

Following the game, Smith spoke about the flashy tools he showcased Tuesday.


(Audio Courtesy of Rays Radio)

— Nick Franklin continues to stake his claim for a place on the Opening Day roster. Franklin collected three hits yesterday — one to left, to center and to right — and raised his spring average to .571 (12-21). Finding a roster spot, however, might not be the easiest of tasks.

Because of his slow progress in rehabilitating from offseason heel surgery, Matt Duffy will likely start the season on the disabled list, meaning Tim Beckham — who also is having a strong spring — is expected to get the most of the reps at short. Compound that with the fact that the Rays will have to create a roster spot in order to add Rickie Weeks to the 25-man. It is plausible for Franklin to fill the super utility role, however, he will have to show off his defensive tools in the outfield and in the middle infield.

— Per Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times), Jose De Leon remains very much a prospect in progress. De Leon, acquired from the Dodgers for 2B Logan Forsythe, said he felt he took “a step forward” Monday, allowing three runs on two hits (one a 3-run HR) and a walk over three innings. That’s relative, because his first outing was really bad and his second was just okay. He was 90-93 with his fastball but command remains elusive, evidenced when he followed a 15-pitch first inning with a 26-pitch second, and needed 54 overall to get the nine outs. Manager Kevin Cash said De Leon’s command was “a little bit better,” but it’s obvious he needs more work.

— Of bumps, bruises and strains. Brad Boxberger (lat/back) said his the bullpen session he threw Monday went well, and he is scheduled to throw another tomorrow. Still, no date has been set for his exhibition debut, although “he still feels he definitely will be ready for the April 2 opener,” writes Topkin. Shawn Tolleson said his back has been feeling good and he is eager to get on the mound today for his second spring outing.

The New What Next

Blake Snell will get the start against the Orioles in Sarasota, and will be followed by Hunter Wood, Chih-Wei Hu, Ryan Yarbrough and Jake Faria. Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr. will make the trip to Sarasota, while Smith and Kevin Kiermaier will stay home. Jake Odorizzi will get the start against the Yankees in Port Charlotte, and will be followed by Shawn Tolleson, Jaime Schultz, Austin Pruitt and Diego Moreno.

Rays 3/14/17 Starting Lineup vs. Baltimore

Robertson SS
Franklin 2B
Dickerson LF
Souza RF
Gillapsie 1B
Casali C
Peterson DH
Leonard 3B
Lee CF
Snell LHP

Rays 3/14/17 Starting Lineup vs. New York

Smith CF
Kiermaier DH
Longoria 3B
Miller 2B
Weeks 1B
Beckham SS
Maile C
Bauers LF
Varona RF
Odorizzi RHP

Notheworthiness

— Chris Archer rejoined the Rays on Monday, and will pitch in a minor league game in Port Charlotte on Thursday to remain on schedule for Opening Day.

Per Topkin, there was some talk of Team USA officials having Archer pitch instead on Friday in San Diego, but he will stick to the original plan and stay with the Rays.

The right-hander is scheduled to pitch next on March 22 — the date of the WBC championship game — and could be available then if Team USA is playing.

Jake Odorizzi will not be added to the United States roster for the second round, due to a scheduling conflict.