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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Rays ALDS roster without Niemann, Dan Johnson, Ramos

Posted Sep 30, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 30, 2011 at 12:10 PM

ROGER MOONEY
ARLINGTON, Texas The Rays playoff roster is interesting in that it includes three catchers and a struggling J.P. Howell and doesn’t include Jeff Niemann and Wednesday’s hero, Dan Johnson.

With Matt Moore starting this afternoon’s ALDS opener against the Rangers, Wade Davis has been moved to the bullpen.

The Rays only need four starters for the best-of-five series, and the addition of Moore made Niemann the odd man out.

The decision on whether to keep catchers Jose Lobabton or John Jaso answered itself when the Rays kept both. This gives Joe Maddon even more flexibility to pinch-hit in later innings.

But Dan Johnson, whose two-out, two-run homer Wednesday against the Yankees is a huge reason why the Rays are playing today, is not on the bench. The Rays kept Elliot Johnson, who gives them late-inning defensive options as well as a late-inning pinch-runner.

Howell has not been sharp in his last few appearances, but the Rays kept his left-arm over that of Cesar Ramos.

Here is the roster:

PITCHERS
Cruz
Davis
Farnsworth
Gomes
Hellickson
Howell
McGee
Moore
Peralta
Price
Shields

CATCHERS
Jaso
Lobaton
Shoppach

INFIELD
Brignac
E. Johnson
Kotchman
Longoria
Rodriguez
Zobrist

OUTFIELD
Damon
Fuld
Jennings
Joyce
Upton