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Game Notes: James Loney to the DL; Souza, Cabrera injured

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! T-Bex Returns Along With Jake Elmore

By Adam Sanford
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After playing two very good games to start the series against Oakland, the bats abandoned the team. The team only scored two runs in the final two games of the series, and also during yesterday's loss, they may have also lost some key players for a few days.

Steven Souza Jr, Asdrubal Cabrera, and James Loney all left yesterday's game early due to injuries. Souza for an inexplicable collision at the plate into Stephn Vogt when he could have safely slid, Cabrera for a groin strain, and Loney's finger sprain is now in-fact a finger break. He goes to the 15-Day DL.

In turn the Rays optioned RP Preston Guilmet for 2B Tim Beckham, and re-called veteran UT Jake Elmore.

Today, as the nation honors those who have fallen in the line of duty, the Rays will welcome the Seattle Mariners to the Trop for a three game set. Heading to the mound for Tampa Bay will be Jake Odorizzi, and he'll be facing off against Roenis Elias. Odorizzi has been a tough luck loser this year as has pitched well so far this season, just the offense hasn't provided any support for him. His last time out, he went six innings against the Braves and allowed two runs on four hits.

His opponent, Elias, defected from Cuba in 2010 and signed a minor league deal with Seattle in 2011. After working his way through the minors, Elias made his major league debut last year and had an excellent rookie campaign. So far this season, he has started five games and is 1-1 with a  2.76 ERA, and a 4.13 FIP. His last time out, he was dominant against Baltimore allowing only one run on six hits in seven plus innings.

Lineups:

Mariners:

Rays:

A very limited bench tonight, as the only players available will be David DeJesus and Bobby Wilson

Roenis Elias Scouting Report:

Elias has four pitches that he uses to attack opposing hitters; a fastball (48%) and sinker (6%) in the lower 90's, and a curve (22%) and change (25%) in the low-to-mid 80's.

Elias uses his fastball up in the zone to lefties, while throwing it all around the zone to righties. With his sinker, he keeps it in on lefties, and to righties he either keeps it either away or below the zone. He keeps his curve structly down and away to lefties and down and in to righties, occasionally landing it in the zone. He's only used his change to lefties twice this year, and to righties his change is usually down and out of the zone.

Elias has struck out 18.9% and walked 6.8% of opposing hitters, while opponents hit line drives 21.3 %, ground balls 42.6%, fly balls 32.6%, and infield pop ups 23.5% of the time.

Other Rays Notes:

- To fill their spots in Durham, Juniel Querecuto was promoted all the way from Charlotte. He'll be presumably sent down when Ryan Brett returns in a few days, but that's quite a vote of confidence for a little-known prospect.

- Meanwhile, officially:

- After possibly the best start of his pro career last time out, Ryne Stanek was promoted to Montgomery

- The Rays have not fared well on Memorial Day

- May 25 in Rays history:

  • 1975 - Randall Simon is born, spent eight games with Tampa Bay during the 2004 season. His claim to fame was the sausage race incident in 2003.
  • 1999 - Quinton McCracken tears his ACL causing him to miss most of the next two seasons.
  • 2000 - Dwight Gooden and Kevin Stocker (whom the team traded Bobby Abreu for) are released.
  • 2008 - Former pitcher, Geremi Gonzalez is tragically killed when his struck by lightning at a beach in a Venezuela
  • 2009 - The Rays blow a 10 run lead against the Indians, capped off by a seven run 9th inning.

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