The Rays lineup, courtesy of TBO_Rays, will feature the recently acquired Sam Fuld starting again in left field with Johnny Damon filling Manny Ramirez’s hole in the DH slot:
Sam Fuld LF
Johnny Damon DH
B.J. Upton CF
Dan Johnson 1B
Sean Rodriguez 3B
Kelly Shoppach C
Ben Zobrist 2B
Matt Joyce RF
Reid Brignac SS
As expected, the Rays lineup features a large number of lefties, despite the fact today’s Chicago White Sox pitcher, John Danks, is himself also left handed.
Earlier today, Manny Ramirez suddenly announced his retirement from major league baseball. This came as a huge shock to Rays fans and the Tampa Bay community. In his stead, Florida native Casey Kotchman has been summoned from the minors and onto the Rays 25-man roster.
Cotchman has struggled mightily with the bat in past seasons, but appears to be an excellent defensive first baseman. The Rays most likely are expecting Kotchman to serve as a stopgap for until Desmond Jennings, Robinson Chirinos, or Brandon Guyer are ready to join the club.