If blowing a 7-2 lead wasn’t ugly enough on Sunday, the Rays send Brad Miller to the DL.
Miller heads to the 10-day DL after feeling tightness in his groin in yesterday’s 8-7 loss in Boston. Kevin Kiermaier also winds up being day-to-day after fouling a pitch off his foot. He wasn’t in the lineup Monday as the Rays began a three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox.
To take the place of Miller on the 25-man roster, the Rays called up a pitcher to add some depth to their already wounded staff. Righty, Ryan Weber, was recalled from Durham. The 27-year old has spent parts of the last three seasons in MLB. Last year he pitched in one game in Seattle, a 3.2 inning start, giving up a run on three hits. For the Rays this spring, Weber appeared in five games (one start) going 8.1 innings and allowing no runs while striking out five.
The offense is starting to heat up
Despite the embarrassing loss in Boston Sunday, the Rays bats managed seven runs on 11 hits. They also drew six walks off Red Sox pitching.
In Monday’s 5-4 victory in Chicago to snap their eight-game losing streak, the Rays cranked out 14 more hits including a four-hit day for Mallex Smith. They also swiped three bases, with Mallex stealing third twice and Denard Span getting his first as a Ray.
Other notable bats off to promising starts this season despite the struggles of the offense as a whole:
*through Monday*
3B Matt Duffy: .275, 1 HR, 6 RBI
2B Joey Wendle: .348/.333/.652, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .986 OPS
LF Span: .259/.344/.370, 8 RBI (leads team), .571 (4-for-7) avg RISP
The Rays are hoping LHP Blake Snell can rebound from his last sub-par start in Boston on Tuesday against the White Sox. They’ll wrap up the three-game set on Wednesday before coming home Friday to start a nine-game home stand beginning with the Phillies at Tropicana Field.
