First pitch is 6:40 PM ET at the Trop, with Tampa Bay sending Steven Matz (4-2, 4.67) at a Detroit lineup that just dropped 10 on them. Jack Flaherty (0-7, 5.81) goes for the Tigers, which is the kind of line that makes the Pinnacle moneyline (Rays -148, Tigers +133) make a little more sense than the standings would suggest.
Flaherty has been the unluckiest man in the AL, tied for the MLB lead with 7 losses and still hunting his first win. He punched out 9 Angels in his last start over 5.2 innings of 3-ER ball and still got tagged with the L. Matz, on the other side, is coming off a clunker in Baltimore — 6 earned in 3 innings on 62 pitches. Two starters limping into a getaway-adjacent matinee.
About that 10-9 game on Monday: Dillon Dingler put up 4 hits and 4 RBI, Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene went deep, and the Tigers actually went back-to-back-to-back in the third. Then they nearly coughed it up when the Rays batted around for 4 in the eighth. Carpenter's 2-run double in the top half is the only reason Detroit's flight home is calm. Will Vest got his first save of the year to lock it down.
Tampa Bay isn't exactly whole right now either. Taylor Walls came out of Monday's game in the third with left hamstring tightness and is day-to-day, and Chandler Simpson is expected back after taking one to the mouth. Craig Kimbrel hit the 15-day IL Sunday with a wrist strain, which thins out a bullpen that already gave up double digits to the Tigers.
- Day-To-DayDugan Darnell RP — The Tigers announced Sunday that Darnell (hip) has been playing catch five times a week and is also taking part in a running progression, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayJosue Briceno C — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 10-Day-ILGleyber Torres 2B — Torres (oblique) has joined the Tigers at Tropicana Field on Monday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game versus the Rays, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 10-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Baez is scheduled to meet with a specialist in the near future for further evaluation on his sprained right ankle, which hasn't healed as quickly as the team hoped, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal SP — Skubal (elbow) worked four innings in a simulated game Monday at Tropicana Field, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCasey Mize SP — Mize (groin) played catch Thursday and is still waiting on the results of his MRI, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILKenley Jansen RP — Jansen is awaiting results of an MRI on his right groin, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILBurch Smith RP — Smith has been diagnosed with right shoulder soreness and received a cortisone injection Friday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayChandler Simpson LF — Manager Kevin Cash said after Monday's 10-9 loss to the Tigers that Simpson (mouth) is expected to play Tuesday against Detroit, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
- Day-To-DayTaylor Walls SS — Walls (hamstring) was removed from Monday's game against the Tigers in the third inning for precautionary reasons due to tightness in his left hamstring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- Day-To-DayAustin Vernon RP — The Rays have shut Vernon down from throwing due to right elbow soreness, per MLB.com.
- Day-To-DayTre' Morgan 1B — Triple-A Durham placed Morgan on the 7-day injured list with a quad injury, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.
- Day-To-DayAlfredo Zarraga RP — no
- 10-Day-ILJonny DeLuca RF — DeLuca is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks after an MRI revealed a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
- 10-Day-ILJake Fraley RF — Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Fraley (hernia) will require surgery and will face a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- 15-Day-ILCraig Kimbrel RP — The Rays placed Kimbrel on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right wrist strain.
The Tigers are running out a roster duct-taped together — Skubal, Mize, Olson, Jobe and Verlander are all on the shelf, Báez is seeing a specialist on that ankle, and Gleyber Torres could finally be activated off the IL for this one. That's basically a rotation and an infield of replacements behind a guy whose record screams 'never bet on me' and whose strikeout numbers say otherwise.
Total is 8.5 (over -102 / under -112) and it's tough to argue with that after Monday's 19-run circus, especially with two starters who've been hittable. Rays are favored for a reason — they've been the better team for 2 months — but if Flaherty's run support shows up again, the dog-with-the-ace-pitcher trope plays. Worth a watch either way.