Misner makes the team following Palacios’s broken finger.
The Rays have announced the Opening Day roster, reacting to the injury for Richie Palacios to start the season due to a broken finger, and confirming that both catchers are good to go following Spring Training injury scares.
Here’s how the Rays Roster will typically be constructed:
* left-handed hitter
** switch hitter
PRIMARY STARTING LINEUP
- C — Danny Jansen
- 1B — Yandy Diaz
- 2B — Brandon Lowe*
- 3B — Junior Caminero
- SS — Taylor Walls**
- LF — Christopher Morel
- CF — Jonny DeLuca
- RF — Josh Lowe*
- DH — Jonathan Aranda*
Bench
- C — Ben Rortvedt*
- SS/OF — Jose Caballero
- INF — Curtis Mead
- OF — Kameron Misner*
One caveat here is that the Rays will be facing a left-handed pitcher on Opening Day, so we can expect Mead and Caballero to potentially get starts over Aranda and one of the Lowe’s.
Rotation
- RHP Ryan Pepiot
- RHP Zack Littell
- RHP Taj Bradley
- RHP Drew Rasmussen
- RHP Shane Baz
Following the nerve-related injury for Shane McClanahan in his throwing arm, the Rays elected to move Pepiot into the Opening Day slot, and set the rotation as noted above, with Rasmussen going for Game 4.
Bullpen
- RHP Pete Fairbanks
- RHP Edwin Uceta
- LHP Garrett Cleavinger
- RHP Manny Rodriguez
- RHP Hunter Bigge
- LHP Mason Montgomery
- RHP Kevin Kelly
- RHP Mason Englert
This is a solid bullpen for the Rays, particularly with Kelly able to pick up 2-innings, and Englert able to pick up 3 if necessary. Should the Rays need more length in the coming days, Connor Seabold — a non-roster invite — might be the next man up.
INJURED LIST (5):
- RHP Alex Faedo (15-day)
- INF Ha-Seong Kim (10-day)
- LHP Nate Lavender (60-day)
- LHP Shane McClanahan (15-day)
- OF Richie Palacios (10-day)