Burrell gets start in right field

Posted Jun 17, 2009 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jun 17, 2009 at 04:24 PM

DENVER—Asked last week, prior to Pat Burrell’s activation from the disabled list, whether he would consider using his DH in the outfield during interleague games at Colorado and New York, Joe Maddon’s reply was about as succinct as it gets: “No,” said the usually verbose skipper, so bluntly that the assembled media broke into a laugh.

Well, Maddon had second thoughts, undoubtedly spurred by Burrell’s 11-for-16 career numbers against tonight’s Rockies starter Aaron Cook. Burrell gets the start in right, relegating the hot bat of Gabe Kapler to the bench in the meantime. I imagine we’ll see B.J. Upton shaded toward a bit farther toward right field than normal this evening.

Burrell has started 31 games for the Rays, all at DH, and has not played in the field for them aside from a smattering of innings in spring training—11 in right field and six in left field.

The lineup:

Upton CF
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Zobrist 2B
Burrell RF
Bartlett SS
Hernandez C
Price P