Notes: Arozarena, Kiermaier return to lineup

After a few days of rest, Randy Arozarena returned to the Rays' lineup against the Twins on Saturday afternoon at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., starting in right field and batting third.

Arozarena didn’t miss a beat in his first game back, going 1-for-3 with a single clocked at 109.4 mph and a groundout clocked at 107.5 mph in the Rays’ 2-0 win over the Twins.

“Randy looked like Randy,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Arozarena hadn’t played since Monday due to a sore left wrist. Cash said the Rays wanted to give the outfielder a few days off to completely rest his forearms, wrists and hands, acknowledging that the team will probably have to manage his pregame workload throughout the season. Simply put, Arozarena likes to hit, so he’ll take a lot of swings unless told otherwise.

Neither Arozarena nor Cash expect the soreness to linger, however. Arozarena took batting practice on Friday, and he came out of that workout in good shape.

“I'm definitely feeling better compared to how I have been,” Arozarena said before Saturday’s game through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I'll be ready for Opening Day, for sure, and I’m just happy to be here with this organization that's been helping me out.”

After three days away from the batting cages, Arozarena said he will use the final four games of Spring Training to get ready for Opening Day. Then, after months of talking about his postseason heroics, Arozarena will begin his first full Major League season.

“There's still some people that remind me of what I did last year. I kind of impressed myself. I kind of don't realize the level that I actually competed in,” Arozarena said. “I’m just ready to come out here every day like I normally do, prepare accordingly, just to go out there and have the results again this year.”

Krew’s dad back in camp
Kevin Kiermaier admitted the past few days included “not a whole lot of sleep,” but even a lack of rest couldn’t dampen his enthusiasm early Saturday morning. He and his wife, Marisa, welcomed their second son, Krew Jax Kiermaier, on Tuesday.

Kiermaier reported that Marisa, Krew and big brother Karter were all happy and healthy. He returned to the Rays' lineup on Saturday, finishing 1-for-3 with a strikeout, and he’s scheduled to play the next two days as well.

“This is the position I've been working toward my whole life. I always wanted to be a family man and create a family with the woman I love, and here I am with that with two kids now,” he said. “Crazy how everything escalates so quickly. Felt like I was a young single guy not too long ago, trying to make my way through the big leagues, and here I am, father of two now in my eighth season with the Rays.

“It kind of puts everything into perspective, how fast life can move at times, but I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I'm in a great position in life right now. I'm a happy man. I'm very lucky, very fortunate, very blessed.”

Kiermaier said he woke up at 4:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday to a call from Marisa, saw five or six text messages she’d sent before that and knew immediately it was time to grab his keys and head north to Tampa, Fla. Meanwhile, Marisa made the short drive to the hospital herself while having contractions.

“Probably went against the book right there,” Kiermaier said, grinning. “But hey, Marisa, she's an ‘Outlaw’ herself as well at times.”

Kiermaier said he’s recently received some important advice about being a father of two. The first was to take advantage of any opportunity to sleep. Another bit came from catcher Mike Zunino, who noted that the Kiermaiers will now have to play man-to-man defense after previously playing a zone with Karter. Naturally, talking about defense resonated with the Platinum Glove-winning center fielder.

“The workload is going to be a little different from here on out,” he said. “But I'm a defensive specialist, so I'll find a way.”

Yarbs to start Game 2
Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough is scheduled to start the Rays’ second game of the season against the Marlins on Friday, Cash said. Yarbrough, who thrives by creating weak contact, will follow hard-throwing righty Tyler Glasnow in Tampa Bay’s Opening Day rotation.

Cash said right-hander Michael Wacha will pitch in the team’s fourth game of the season on April 5 against the Red Sox. Wacha has been a starter in each of his four appearances this spring, and he figures to spend most of the season in that role, although he’s expected to pitch after an opener against the Tigers in the Rays’ Spring Training finale on Tuesday.

The Rays haven’t named a starter for their third game, though it will likely be either Chris Archer or Rich Hill. It’s possible that both veterans could appear in that game against the Marlins, as they’ve pitched on the same day their last two times out.

Game notes
• After Opening Day starter Tyler Glasnow struck out 10 in five dominant innings against the Twins, the Rays received scoreless performances from relievers Diego Castillo, Andrew Kittredge, Pete Fairbanks and Ryan Thompson.

“Everybody looked ready today,” Cash said. “Things kind of came together, and to see all those guys kind of lined up, stacked up like that, especially with the news that we received the other day with Nick [Anderson], it's got to make you feel a little bit better.”

• Prospect Dalton Kelly played the whole game at first base and drove in both Rays runs with a pair of singles. Kelly’s second hit drove in MLB's top prospect Wander Franco, who legged out a hustle double to lead off the ninth.

“Not just about Wander, but he's right there at the top of list: All these young guys that have had opportunities to come over and play, they play extremely hard,” Cash said. “They play so hard, it made our jobs and our spring a lot of fun with the intensity they come [with] when it's 1 o'clock, game time.”

• Shortstop Greg Jones exited Saturday’s game with a left quad strain. Jones, the Rays' No. 10 prospect, sustained the injury in the eighth inning, when Cash said his leg “just gave out on him” while running to first base.

Up next
Yarbrough will start as the Rays play their final home game of the spring on Sunday afternoon, when they’ll host the Braves at 1:05 p.m. ET at Charlotte Sports Park. The club intends to essentially break camp after that, holding most of its workouts the following two days in Sarasota, Fla. (Monday), and Lakeland, Fla. (Tuesday), before heading to Miami for the season opener. Sunday’s game will air on FOX Sports Sun and for free on MLB.TV, with a radio call available on WDAE 95.3 FM and MLB.com.