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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-Braves, but a little rain first

Posted Jun 15, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Jun 15, 2010 at 07:30 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

ATLANTA - Thunder, lightning and light rain kept the Rays from taking batting practice on the field for tonight’s game against the Braves at Turner Field, and the start of the three-game series opener has been delayed. The radar doesn’t look too bad, though, so it would seem we’ll see some baseball before long.

Manager Joe Maddon said that if all goes well tonight with the second game of shortstop Jason Bartlett’s two-game minor league rehab assignment, Bartlett will come off the 15-day disabled list tomorrow and join the team. Bartlett has missed about two weeks with a right hamstring pull.

The Rays will have to create a spot for Bartlett on the 25-man roster. Maddon said he hadn’t spoken to executive vice president Andrew Friedman yet about the decision, but the maanger sounded like he wanted to keep all three catchers: Kelly Shoppach, John Jason and Dioner Navarro. That would likely mean that outfielder Justin Ruggiano, recalled Sunday when Gabe Kapler went on the DL with a hip flexor strain, would go back to Triple-A Durham.

For me, it’s nice being back in the old stomping grounds. I lived and worked here as sports editor fo Morris News Service for more than 11 years. Had the chance to cover the Braves in three World Series as a columnist, chronicle the Falcons through some horrendous years and a Super Bowl run, follow Georgia Tech’s football team through a co-national championship season and basketball team to the Final Four and cover the Winter (Lillehammer. Norway) and Summer Olympics (1996 Atlanta Games).

Both of my kids were born in Atlanta, and two of my brothers still live here.

Back to baseball and tonight’s lineups:

Rays
John Jaso, C
Crawford, LF
Longoria, 3B
Pena, 1B
Zobrist, RF
Upton, CF
Rodriguez, 2B
Brignac, SS
Price, LHP (Price, 9-2, 2.23)

Braves
Martin Prado, 2B
Jason Heyward, RF
Chipper Jones, 3B
Toy Glaus, 1B
Brian McCann, C
Yunel Escobar, SS
Melky Cabrera, LF
Gregor Blanco, CF
Kenshin Kawakami, RHP (0-8, 4.48)