Royals at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays get ace Blake Snell back from a toe injury Wednesday, when they aim for a three-game sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals. Snell was placed on the 10-day injured list after hurting the toe while moving a decorative display in his bathroom April 14.
"I know the first couple days, it was like no shot," Snell told reporters of his recovery. "I feel good, I feel I can pitch and feel like I can run. It should be good." The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner will face a Royals team that has scored a total of 15 runs during a five-game losing streak. Mike Zunino homered for the second straight night and drove in a pair of runs to help the Rays to a 5-2 win Tuesday in the middle game of the set. Martin Maldonado slugged his first home run in a Kansas City uniform as the Royals fell to 2-10 on the road.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jakob Junis (1-2, 6.26 ERA) vs. Rays LH Blake Snell (2-1, 2.16)
Junis is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA over his last three starts while allowing nine extra-base hits - four home runs. Opponents are batting .304 against the 26-year-old, who had a season-low two strikeouts in a loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Junis is 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA in three career games (two starts) against Tampa Bay.
Snell was on a roll prior to the injury, going 2-0 while allowing one run in 19 innings over his three most recent starts. He has 33 strikeouts against two walks in that span. The former first-round pick fanned 11 in six innings to defeat the Royals in their one encounter last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals 3B Hunter Dozier (back) missed Tuesday's game and will be available only in an emergency in the series finale.
2. Zunino is 4-for-6 with the two home runs, one walk, four RBIs and three runs scored in the series after missing the previous three games while on the paternity list.
3. Rays RHP Emilio Pagan pitched in 92 career games without recording a save before picking up one in each of the first two games of the series.