Good morning from the Trop, where the Rays will try to finish off a thus far-perfect home stand at 12:40 against the Royals with a very strange lineup that no one except Joe Maddon would have been able to predict.

B.J. Upton needed a day off, said Maddon, so Carl Crawford will start in center field for the first time since June 18, 2006 in an interleague game at Philadelphia. Crawford wasn’t too excited about the switch, which he first heard about two hours before game time in the clubhouse.

“He ambushed me with it today,” Crawford said of Maddon. “I wish I would have had a little more notice, but I don’t know how that decision came about. But it is what it is and I’m just going to run out to center field today.”

Crawford went on to explain why he was so upset with the move.

“You know, you’re thinking about it. You’re making a conscious effort to think about what you’re doing. My game is usually based on me not thinking at all, just knowing what I’m going to be doing,” he said. “Today I’m going to be thinking a little more than what I normally do. We’ll see how that goes.”

About 30 minutes later, Maddon spoke to reporters and explained the reason for the changes. One of the main reasons is Jonny Gomes’ excellent numbers against Kansas City starter Gil Meche, a .500 average with two homers in four lifetime at-bats.

“I wanted to get Jon Gomes in the lineup today, and the best way to do it would be that way. Jon’s also going to play tomorrow so that’s a nice little segue into tomorrow’s game for him,” Maddon said.

“I wanted to try to juggle – I wanted to give B.J. the day off, that was part of it also. B.J. was going to get the day off, he knew about that in advance. I was just trying to decide again the best way to get everyone in the lineup that I wanted in the lineup. That’s the way it worked out.”

Maddon added it was either Crawford (a .313 lifetime hitter against Meche) or Gabe Gross (0-for-3 against Meche) in center. But based on Crawford’s reaction to the move, it may be awhile before he appears there again. And since today’s game is not being televised, that means the smallish crowd at the Trop should get to see a rare sight.

Kansas City (39-50, 4th AL Central)

1. David DeJESUS, lf
2. Joey GATHRIGHT, cf
3. Alex GORDON, 3b
4. Billy BUTLER, dh
5. Mark TEAHEN, rf
6. Ross GLOAD, 1b
7. John BUCK, c
8. Mike AVILES, 2b
9. Tony PENA, JR., ss

P.    Gil MECHE, rhp

Tampa Bay (55-32, 1st AL East)

1. Akinori IWAMURA, 2b
2. Carl CRAWFORD, cf
3. Carlos PENA, 1b
4. Evan LONGORIA, 3b
5. Cliff FLOYD, dh
6. Jonny GOMES, lf
7. Dioner NAVARRO, c
8. Eric HINSKE, rf
9. Ben ZOBRIST, ss

P.    Matt GARZA, rhp