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LF Carl Crawford is not in the Devil Rays lineup for Saturday's game at Cleveland and likely won't play in Sunday's finale either, manager Joe Maddon said. Crawford, who leads the AL with 58 stolen bases and 16 triples, has been bothered on and off by a sore left wrist and according to Maddon it has been "a little bit flare-y.'' Maddon also said he wants to give backup Damon Hollins a chance to play.
Maddon said he also may give CF Rocco Baldelli the day off Sunday.
RF Delmon Young was back in the Rays lineup Friday after a one-day break designed to preserve his rookie eligibility next season. Young hit .316 in the first month after his recall from Triple-A Durham.
The Rays announced another change in their minor-league affiliates, moving their Class A team from SW Michigan in the Midwest League to Columbus, Ga., in the South Atlantic League. They now have all of their affiliates in the southeast United States.
C Dioner Navarro will not rejoin the team before the end of the season as he attends to his 1-year-old son, who is undergoing medical tests at home in Tampa.
Devil Rays pitching coach Mike Butcher was suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for his "inappropriate actions and comments" during arguments with the umpires in Monday's game.
Butcher, who began serving his suspension during Wednesday's game in Boston, had said he did not expect to be suspended.
"They made their decision based on what they saw, I guess,'' Butcher said. "I full accept what happened.''
Manager Joe Maddon said he would handle the pitching coach duties during the games.
Also, catcher Dioner Navarro is expected to rejoin the Rays on Thursday in Cleveland, but is not scheduled to play. Navarro stayed in Tampa to attend to a medical matter involving his 1-year-old son.
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If the Yankees win the World Series this season, the Devil Rays will be the first ones to see them defend it. The Rays will open the 2007 season with a three-game series at Yankee Stadium that starts on April 2, and play their home opener April 6 against Toronto.
The Rays have adjusted the start times for 2007 home games, with weekday and Saturday games moved up from 7:15 to 7:10 p.m. and Sunday games pushed back from 1:15 to 1:40.
The Rays will host the Dodgers (June 22-24), Marlins (May 18-20) and Padres (June 12-14) in interleague play. They will visit the Diamondbacks (June 18-20), Marlins (June 8-10) and Rockies (June 15-17).
Other highlights include weekend series with the Yankees (July 12-15) and Red Sox (July 27-29 and Sept. 21-23).
The Devil Rays open their 2007 season at Yankee Stadium, according to the schedule released Thursday by the team. Other Tropicana Field highlights:
The Devil Rays made the appropriately cautious decision in shutting down LHP Scott Kazmir for the season. Whatever good may have come of allowing him to test his sore shoulder in the final week of the season - and in the chilly air of Boston or Cleveland nonetheless - was outweighed by the potential risk of something going wrong. He threw in the outfield on Monday, said he felt "perfect" and that should be good enough for everyone. Opening day 2007 at Yankee Stadium will have to due for his next start.
One of the most interesting developments regarding the Rays is actually taking place tonight in Toronto. If the Yankees beat the Jays , they will have the chance to clinch the AL East on Wednesday at the Rogers Centre if the Red Sox lose either tonight or Wednesday to the Twins. But if the total of Yankees wins and Sox losses over Tuesday doesn't add up to three, then the Yankees will bring their clinching party to Tropicana Field on Friday.
Going into play Tuesday, Rocco Baldelli has been the AL's hottest hitter over the last month, with a .381 average. And Delmon Young had a 12-game hitting streak, one game shy of Baldelli's 2003 team rookie record.
As unlikely as it seems, there is still a chance LHP Scott Kazmir could pitch again this season. Kazmir has been sidelined since late August with shoulder soreness and appeared likely to be shut down for the remainder of the season.
But Kazmir threw about 40 pitches on Monday on flat ground and the Rays have not ruled out the possibility of him coming back and making a final start next week, as much for his own peace of mind as anything. For that to happen, however, the Rays are going to have be convinced there is no potential for further damage. Otherwise, it would be a big mistake to take any kind of chance.
Since being called up to the majors on Aug. 29, rookie OF Delmon Young has posted a .400 average (30-for-75) in his first 18 games. During that span, the only major-leaguers who have a better average are Ryan Howard, David Wright and Rafael Furcal. Only Hanley Ramirez has more hits. Young went into play Monday with an 11-game hitting streak.
Rays reliever Edwin Jackson was hit in the back of the head by a line drive in the eighth inning of Saturday's game but was not hurt.
Jackson was struck by a line drive off the bat of Adam Lind and the ball caromeed past third base. But Jackson never left his feet and had the presence of mind to attempt to cover third. He was smiling when trainer Ron Porterfield rushed onto the field and walked off on his own.
Jackson was examined by a doctor at the stadium and was to have a precautionary CAT-scan on Saturday night but said he was fine and not in any pain.
"I just feel like I got punched in the back of the head,'' Jackson said.
Yankee Stadium was abuzz for Tuesday's game, but it didn't have as much to do with the Devil Rays as the return of Hideki Matsui to the New York lineup. Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "He's never fun unless you're a Yankees fan.''
The Rays announced their pitching rotation for the weekend series in Toronto, with Jae Seo going on Friday, J.P. Howell on Saturday and rookie Brian Stokes on Sunday in his second major-league start.
Tuesday's game was the first in Yankee Stadium for a number of Rays, including Delmon Young, Jason Hammel, Ben Zobrist, Juan Salas and Shawn Riggans.
DH Jonny Gomes underwent successful surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati to clean out his troublesome right shoulder. Gomes is expected to be ready for spring training.
LHP Casey Fossum expects to find out Wednesday what will be done to repair the fraying in the labrum in his left shoulder. Surgery seems likely, and the Rays expect him to be ready next spring as well.
C Shawn Riggans and RHP Juan Salas joined the team Tuesday after being brought up from Triple-A Durham. Manager Joe Maddon said he was "curious" to see how Salas, who had remarkable minor-league numbers, would do. Riggans won't play much, if at all, until the Rays get past three straight series against the contending Twins, A's and Yankees.
Greg Norton got Tuesday night off against Twins ace Johan Santana. Damon Hollins was in the lineup at DH with Ty Wigginton at first base.
The Devil Rays have called up two more potential pieces of their future, promoting catcher Shawn Riggans and reliever Juan Salas from Triple-A Durham.
Riggans, 26, hit .293 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs at Durham and was America
Salas, 29, pitched in 50 games between Double-A Montgomery and Durham
Both will join the Rays for Tuesday's game against Minnesota.
In a game that was not televised Saturday, the Devil Rays made history, completing what, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, is the first 2-6-2 triple play ever made in the majors.
The play started when Raul Ibanez struck with men on first and second. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro threw to second to catch Adrian Beltre trying to steal, and shortstop Ben Zobrist fired back to the plate to nail Jose Lopez for the third out of the first inning.
"Pretty awesome,'' Zobrist said.
It was the fourth triple play in the major leagues this season and the Rays have been involved in the last two, hitting into one on June 11 in Kansas City.
In other news, manager Joe Maddon said Edwin Jackson will get the chance to compete with Seth McClung for the closer's job over the final month, and Jae Seo was cleared to return to the rotation on Tuesday.
 Follow the Rays through spring training and the season with Marc Topkin, Joe Smith and the Times sports staff. We invite your participation in the comments area.
E-mail Marc: topkin@sptimes.com |
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