On Monday it was announced that the Rays have, indeed, sold out Opening Day for the 13th consecutive season at Tropicana Field.
No other pro team in Tampa can claim 13 in a row on their sport’s opening slate. Not the Bucs. Not the Bolts. The 4:00 PM EST first pitch on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox will be packed, no doubt, with both Rays and Sox fans alike. Tickets are still available for the other three games in the series.
Will Archer be ready?
Rays ace and Opening Day starter, RHP Chris Archer, has been nursing a forearm bruise sustained on Friday. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, reports are he looked good throwing a 30-pitch bullpen at Tropicana Field today. No worries about his availability to start his fourth consecutive Opening Day for the Rays.
#Rays Cash said word from Trop was that Archer looked good and threw well in 30 pitch bullpen session, zero concerns about Thursday availability
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 26, 2018
Chirinos and Yarbrough can breathe easy
In what’s shaping up to be an eight-man bullpen, rookies Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough have cracked the Opening Day squad for the first time. Andrew Kittredge also made the team. He appeared in 15 games in 2017 with the Rays. The three prospects will be a part of a bullpen that will be relied on to eat up some innings as part of the rotation.
One more spot up for grabs
With the final exhibition game on Tuesday, the Rays have one last roster spot to fill. That being a fifth outfield spot. The competition in house is between veteran Brandon Snyder and rookie Johnny Field.
The projected Opening Day lineup as far as we’re concerned could be:
LF Denard Span
1B C.J. Cron
RF Carlos Gomez
DH Brad Miller
3B Matt Duffy
Joey Wendle will platoon at 2B with Robertson and Miller will likely spell Cron at first depending on matchups. Mallex Smith and either Snyder or Field will be the outfield depth on the 25-man.
