After 14 long months, Matt Moore is ready to make his long awaited return to the mound this afternoon at the Trop.
After 14 long months, Matt Moore is ready to make his long awaited return to the mound this afternoon at the Trop.
For the first time in 14 long months, left-hander Matt Moore will take the mound on Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

Moore, who worked his way back from Tommy John Surgery back on April 22, 2014, last started on April 7, 2014 against the Kansas City Royals. He became one of 26 pitchers to undergo the procedure in 2014.

I’m anxious and excited and all those types of things, Moore told the media. I feel ready to go. It was tough (to miss that much time). It feels like a long time coming, but there are a lot of good feelings right now.

He’ll oppose Corey Kluber (3-9, 3.66 ERA), who will make his second start of the season against the Rays after allowing three runs in seven innings in a loss on June 20. Kluber is is 1-5 with a 4.00 ERA in nine starts away from Progressive Field this season.

The Indians, again, flirted with a no hitter on Wednesday night before Joey Butler’s ninth inning single to break it up. In the series opener, Cody Anderson retired the first 19 batters he faced, and Danny Salazar was perfect through five innings on Tuesday, not allowing a hit until Curt Casali’s two-out double in the sixth inning.

Tampa Bay (42-38) now has dropped four straight games, and eight of their last ten. The latest loss dropped the Rays  a game behind Baltimore in the AL East.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said last night, that he doesn’t anticipate any hangover today from the near no-hitter:

They’ll come in. They’ll be ready to play. We have a lot of guys that are itching to get out of this little bit of funk and I think we all have plenty of confidence that they’ll do that.

You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 7/2/15 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Butler LF
Longoria 3B
Sizemore DH
Forsythe 2B
Cabrera SS
Guyer RF
Elmore 1B
Rivera C
Moore LHP

Noteworthiness

— In four career starts against Cleveland, Moore is 2-1 with a 3.78 ERA, and is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the two starts he has faced them at Tropicana Field.

— Evan Longoria is 4-10 against Kluber in 11 plate appearances, including a three-run home run in their last meeting on June 20.

— Kluber is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four career starts against the Rays.

— Rays hitters are 6-85 (.071) in their last three games (all vs. Cleveland).

— Marc Krauss was optioned to Durham to make room on the roster for Matt Moore. That should also signal that James Loney is set to make his presumed return this weekend. Krauss struck out twice on Wednesday and was batting .133 since being acquired from the Angels organization.

Injury Report… Jake Odorizzi made his first — and perhaps only — rehab start for the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Wednesday. Odorizzi allowed just one run off two hits and a walk in four innings — averaging under 14 pitches per inning.

I feel like the stuff I had today, I could have taken into today’s (Rays) game and been perfectly fine, Odorizzi told Charlotte Sun reporter Josh Vitale.

James Loney started at first base for Port Charlotte, going 2-3 on the night. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Loney will be reevaluated today, and could return to the Rays’ lineup this weekend. John Jaso played DH for the Stone Crabs and went 2-5 with a double.

— If I may, Cash let Alex Colome throw seven innings of five run ball, yet he shut Erasmo Ramirez down after he allowed just one run in 5-2/3 innings and 84 pitches. How does that make sense?

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