Orioles and Rays lineups to begin four-game series

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles are sticking with the same 26-man roster tonight as they begin a four-game series against the Rays, who trail them by percentage points in the American League East.

This is the latest that the Orioles have sat atop the division since Aug. 12, 2016.

Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, acquired from the Athletics last night for left-hander Easton Lucas, hasn’t reported to the team.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing third base. Henderson has a 15-game on-base streak.

Anthony Santander is playing first base. He’s reached base in 16 straight games.

Jordan Westburg has back-to-back multi-hit games after being 0-for-13, but he’s out of the lineup. Ryan Mountcastle also is on the bench.

Ramón Urías is starting at second base and Jorge Mateo is the shortstop. Colton Cowser is in right field.

Cedric Mullins made the trip and said the injury to his groin is in the exact same spot that forced him to miss almost a month of the season.

“The original symptoms did feel new,” Mullins said. “When some of the original soreness went away, it diverted back to what I was feeling around the first time that I ended up on the IL.

“Definitely want to take the time to treat it properly and make sure everything’s going to be fine. The goal is the back end, for sure, the longevity of the back end of the season. So, see where it takes us.”

Asked whether he could miss the same amount of time, Mullins said, “There’s no way of honestly knowing. It’s just one of those things where it’s got to be day by day on how I progress. Obviously, the goal is on the shorter end of that.”

The soreness that forced him out of last Saturday’s game was located in the right quadriceps, but the current discomfort is confined to the groin area.

“We’ve already done all the testing, nothing spreading up into my abdomen core or anything like that,” he said. “Just being able to isolate it in that one spot is good news.”

Catcher Anthony Bemboom is on the taxi squad.

Closer Félix Bautista’s 26 saves are tied with Toronto’s Jordan Romano for most in the American League. The Giants’ Camilo Doval leads the majors with 30.

Kyle Gibson is making his 21^st start. He faced the Rays on May 8 in Baltimore and allowed two runs in six innings in a 3-0 loss. Josh Lowe hit a solo home run.

Gibson has a career 4.24 ERA and 1.362 WHIP in 14 games (13 starts) against Tampa Bay, and a 5.01 ERA and 1.516 WHIP in six starts at Tropicana Field.

Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow has made nine starts and posted a 3.78 ERA and 1.238 WHIP with 71 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. He faced the Orioles on June 20 at Tropicana Field and allowed six runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3. Aaron Hicks had a three-run homer in the first inning and Santander delivered a two-run shot in the second.

Glasnow has allowed one earned run in three of his last four starts. He’s 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA and 0.974 WHIP in seven career starts against the Orioles.

The Rays have lost four games in a row and 11 of 14. They’re 35-15 at home.

The Orioles won two of three against the Rays in May and split a two-game series last month.

The Rays have won 22 series against the Orioles since the start of the 2017 season, their most against any opponent over that span (22-9-4 series record). Tampa Bay has posted a 70-40 record against the Orioles in that span.

For the Orioles
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Adley Rutschman C
Anthony Santander 1B
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Austin Hays LF
Aaron Hicks CF
Ramón Urías 2B
Colton Cowser RF
Jorge Mateo SS

Kyle Gibson RHP

Austin Voth retired all three batters he faced this morning in his rehab start in the Florida Complex League.

For the Rays
Yandy Díaz DH
Wander Franco SS
Luke Raley 1B
Randy Arozarena LF
Brandon Lowe 2B
Jose Siri CF
Josh Lowe RF
Taylor Walls 3B
Francisco Mejía C

Tyler Glasnow RHP