BOSTON — Steven Wright will be hoping his second start since coming off the disabled list goes better than his first.
The right-handed knuckleballer surrendered five runs over six innings last Friday in his first outing since Aug. 5. He’ll seek different results Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in the teams’ matinee series finale at Fenway Park.
Amazingly enough, this will be Wright’s first career start against the Rays, although he does boast a 7-3 record and 2.15 ERA in nine starts against the American League East.
The Sox will be thin in their bullpen once again, as Brad Ziegler isn’t at the ballpark due to “grade-A influenza,” manager John Farrell revealed before Wednesday’s game. The flu has kept Ziegler out of the Red Sox’s last two contests.
Sandy Leon is back in the lineup to catch Wright and bat sixth, while Chris Young replaces Brock Holt in left field and is batting seventh. Travis Shaw takes a seat after a brutal 0-for-4, four-strikeout night Tuesday, with Aaron Hill making the start at third base and batting eighth.
Here are the lineups for Wednesday’s Sox-Rays matchup:
RED SOX (73-59)
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Sandy Leon, C
Chris Young, LF
Aaron Hill, 3B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Steven Wright, RHP (13-6, 3.18 ERA)
RAYSÂ (55-75)
Logan Forsythe, 2B
Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Brad Miller, DH
Nick Franklin, RF
Logan Morrison, 1B
Tim Beckham, SS
Corey Dickerson, LF
Bobby Wilson, C
Drew Smyly, LHP (6-11, 4.80 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
