Opening Day FAQ: Blue Jays vs. Rays

ST. PETERSBURG -- Last year, the Rays and Blue Jays got where they wanted to go. They just didn’t do enough when they got there.

Tampa Bay and Toronto survived the regular-season grind of the American League East last season to reach the playoffs, only to both be immediately swept out of the AL Wild Card Series in two games. It left a bitter taste in both clubs’ mouths, one they can’t wash out with anything but different results come this October.

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Of course, just getting there is a big enough challenge in the AL East. The Orioles are the reigning division champs, and they rounded out a young and talented roster by bringing in ace Corbin Burnes. The Yankees added Juan Soto to their lineup. The Red Sox are motivated after a mediocre season.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays mostly made moves on the margins of their roster to complement a dynamic pitching staff and a returning core of hitters who expect better results than they’ve achieved to this point. And the Rays did what they always do, shuffling their roster to get younger, more flexible and somehow still capable of outperforming preseason expectations.

Getting in is no longer enough for either club. But to get where they want to go, it all starts there.

“That's the main goal. All 30 teams start from scratch now. Everybody feels like everybody has a chance. I know we're going to be there,” Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena said through communications director Elvis Martinez. “You wouldn't win the championship if you don't make the playoffs, so we have to make the playoffs first, right? We've been trying to do that. We've been doing that. … This year won’t be different.”

When is the game and how can I watch it?
The game will begin at 4:10 p.m. ET. Fans can follow on MLB.TV and Gameday on MLB.com. The game will also air for out-of-market fans on MLB Network. Here is the team-specific broadcast information.

Blue Jays: Sportsnet will carry the game on television across Canada (including Sportsnet+) following a one-hour edition of Blue Jays Central, which will begin at 3 p.m. ET. The radio call will be available on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

Rays: Bally Sports Sun, the Rays’ television broadcast partner, will begin coverage of Opening Day at 3 p.m. ET with a special hourlong “Rays Live” pregame show. The game will air on Bally Sports Sun, and the Rays’ broadcast will be available on WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM and the Rays Radio Network.

What are the lineups?

Blue Jays: This won’t look very different from the lineup the Blue Jays ended 2023 with, but they’re betting on internal improvements from several core players.

1. George Springer, RF
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
3. Bo Bichette, SS
4. Justin Turner, DH
5. Daulton Varsho, LF
6. Alejandro Kirk, C
7. Kevin Kiermaier, CF
8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 3B
9. Cavan Biggio, 2B

Rays: The Rays lost a pair of key left-handed hitters (Josh Lowe and Jonathan Aranda) to injuries during Spring Training, so this isn’t exactly the way they drew it up when they reported to Charlotte Sports Park.

1. Yandy Díaz, 1B
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Randy Arozarena, LF
4. Harold Ramírez, DH
5. Isaac Paredes, 3B
6. Richie Palacios, RF
7. Jose Siri, CF
8. José Caballero, SS
9. René Pinto, C

Who are the starting pitchers?

Blue Jays: RHP José Berríos
Berríos got the Opening Day nod with Kevin Gausman still ramping up, but Berríos is worthy on his own merit. Coming off a bounce-back 2023 season that reestablished him as one of the most reliable starters in baseball, Berríos immediately gets his opportunity to “turn the page” on how the ’23 season ended in the AL Wild Card Series. Given the pitching injuries that have slowly piled up for the Blue Jays, Berríos’ durability has never been more important.

Rays: RHP Zach Eflin
This will be Eflin’s first career Opening Day start, an assignment he earned with his performance last season. In his first year with Tampa Bay, Eflin went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings over 31 starts. The 29-year-old Florida native, who will have plenty of friends and family in attendance at The Trop, consistently provided the Rays with deep, quality outings and occasional flashes of outright dominance. He’s also the last man standing from the rotation the Rays planned to lean on entering last Spring Training, as Tyler Glasnow was traded and Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen are all injured.

How might the bullpens line up after the starter?

Blue Jays: With Erik Swanson (right forearm) and Jordan Romano (right elbow) starting the season on the IL, relievers like Chad Green and Yimi Garcia will step into much larger roles on the back end. Trevor Richards and Tim Mayza will be part of this, too, while Mitch White and Wes Parsons are available as the long men, which will be valuable early on. It’s all about getting through these first few weeks for the Blue Jays’ bullpen, which should be a strength when fully healthy.

Rays: After being remade on the fly last season, the bullpen should once again be a strength for the Rays. Pete Fairbanks is an unusually traditional closer for an open-minded team like Tampa Bay, pitching in the ninth inning with a lead. Right-hander Jason Adam, lefty Colin Poche and newcomer Phil Maton should be his top setup men. Righty Shawn Armstrong and lefty Garrett Cleavinger can open, pitch in high-leverage spots or cover multiple innings. Right-hander Chris Devenski was stretched out to pitch multiple innings in Spring Training, making him another versatile arm for manag​​er Kevin Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder.

Any injuries of note?

Blue Jays: Beyond Toronto’s bullpen injuries, Alek Manoah’s absence (right shoulder soreness) has moved Bowden Francis into the rotation, where many within the organization expect him to shine. The injury you’ll notice most might be Danny Jansen, who is still out with a fractured bone in his right wrist. This will bring a heavy dose of Alejandro Kirk out of the gates with Brian Serven taking over the traditional backup role.

Rays: A lot, as usual. McClanahan won’t pitch this season. Springs and Rasmussen won’t return until later in the year. Shane Baz is working his way back slowly after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Outfielder Josh Lowe (right oblique) will miss at least the first 10 days of the season. Starter Taj Bradley (right pec strain), infielder Jonathan Aranda (broken finger) and outfielder Jonny DeLuca (broken right hand) could miss the first month of the season. Shortstop Taylor Walls (offseason surgery on his right hip) is due back at some point in the first half.

Who’s hot and who’s not?

Blue Jays: Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are hot, which is exactly what the Blue Jays want to hear. Bichette hit .345 in spring while Guerrero hit .463, including three home runs. Add in George Springer, who hit .415 in the Grapefruit League, and the top three of the Blue Jays’ lineup look like they’re ready to hit the ground running. On the flip side of this, Chad Green (8.22 ERA) didn’t have the sharpest spring early on, but finished strong. Starter Yusei Kikuchi (16.43 ERA) had a spring to forget, so it’s worth watching how he looks in the early innings of his first start this season.

Rays: Arozarena led the Rays with four home runs this spring. Just behind him were Díaz and Palacios, with three each. Veteran infielder Amed Rosario had a nice spring, hitting the ball hard and taking well to the outfield. Pinto led the team in strikeouts this spring, although he hit well when he made contact. Siri also had a tough time at the plate, whiffing 13 times. Most of the Rays’ relievers encountered little resistance during Spring Training, but starter Zack Littell (two runs in 13 1/3 innings, 13 strikeouts, three walks) was the standout performer.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• Entering his 10th season with Tampa Bay, Cash is the longest-tenured manager in the Majors with his current club and, on Opening Day, will surpass Joe Maddon (2006-14) as the longest-tenured manager in Rays history. Cash is 16 victories shy of overtaking Maddon as the club’s all-time leader in managerial wins.

• Kiermaier started eight Opening Day games for the Rays from 2015-22. He returned to Tropicana Field last season with the Blue Jays, playing six games and starting five of them.

• The Rays won last year’s season series with the Blue Jays, taking seven of their 13 matchups. But the Blue Jays outscored the Rays, 87-70, in large part thanks to a 20-1 rout at Tropicana Field last May 23.

• This is the fifth time Tampa Bay and Toronto have played on Opening Day, as the two clubs most recently met in 2020. Of the four previous Opening Day matchups, each team has won two.