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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 vs. Twins, lineups and more

Posted Aug 3, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Aug 3, 2010 at 07:08 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

ST. PETERSBURG - One night after top pitching prospect Jeremy Hellickson made his major league debut for the Rays and ended the Twins’ eight-game winning streak, Dan Johnson makes his season debut for Tampa Bay tonight at first base.

Johnson has put up huge numbers this year at Triple-A Durham, hitting .303 with 30 home runs and 95 RBIs. He starts in place of Carlos Pena, who remains out with an injury to the plantar fascia (connective tissue) of his right foot.

Johnson appeared in 10 games for the Rays in 2008 and is best remembered for a pinch-hit game-tying home run he hit in the nintth inning of a Tampa Bay victory against the Red Sox that September. He played in Japan last year and credits that experience for making him a wiser hitter.

Pena said he’s doing better and doesn’t believe he’ll need to go on the DL, but he wasn’t sure how soon he’ll be able to play. 

Ben Zobrist (stiff lower back) took batting practice in both the batting cage and on the field, ran the bases and fielded grounders at second and first base. He fared well, and Maddon said there’s a shot he could be in the lineup tomorrow.

Here are the lineups:

TWINS

Denard Span, CF
Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, DH
Delmon Young, LF
Jason Kubel, RF
Michael Cuddyer, 1B
Danny Valencia, 3B
Trevor Plouffe, SS
Drew Butera, C
—
Brian Duensing, LHP (4-1, 1.83)

RAYS

B.J. Upton, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Willy Aybar, DH
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Dan Johnson, 1B
Jason Bartlett, SS
Kelly Shoppach, C
Gabe Kapler, RF
—
Jeff Niemann, RHP (9-3, 3.08)

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