Tampa Bay Rays two-way player Brendan McKay is schedule

ST. PETERSBURG http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , Fla. (AP) — d to make his hitting debut against the Baltimore Orioles two days after winning his first appearance as a starting pitcher.McKay was in the lineup as the designated hitter Monday night and batting eighth.“It’s great,” McKay said. “You get to get everything out of the way quick and then you get those out of the way and then you’re free to just relax and have fun and play.”The left-hander took a perfect game into the sixth inning in his big league debut Saturday against Texas. He was pulled after allowing one hit over six scoreless innings.“I’m excited to see him hit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We saw a really, really good pitching performance. If he can do that at the plate, we’ve got something working, I guess.”McKay, a first baseman limited to DH this season, hit .216 (96 for 444) with 14 homers and 79 RBIs over three minor league seasons. After a promotion this year from Double-A Montgomery, he had a .265 average (13 for 49) with four homers and 10 RBIs at Triple-A Durham.McKay is scheduled to pitch again Friday night against the AL East-leading New York Yankees.“There’s satisfaction in knowing that you’re going to get a chance to do both Blake Parker Jersey ,” McKay said.McKay will be available to pinch-hit on days he doesn’t pitch or DH. He will have a bullpen session Tuesday.“I’m still learning and asking questions kind of on the fly here,” Cash said.The Rays have another two-way player on the horizon at Durham with Jake Cronenworth. The infielder entered Monday hitting .338 with nine homers and 38 RBIs, while allowing two unearned runs and four hits over 6 1/3 innings in six games.Cronenworth has pitched as an opener five times and last week started a game at shortstop before pitching 1 1/3 relief innings.“Look at what he’s done offensively, and the pitching makes him that much more interesting of a player that can help a major league team,” Cash said. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch called umpire Angel Hernandez “unprofessional” and “arrogant” after being ejected in the first inning of Friday night’s split-squad game against St. Louis.Hinch was tossed following one pitch in the bottom of the first inning.“The fact that he wanted to throw me out in a spring training game is pretty ridiculous,” Hinch said. “He’s known for overreaction a little bit.”Hinch’s postgame comments angered Hernandez.“He said that? Write it,” Hernandez said before adding, “No comment. He got ejected for arguing balls and strikes. That’s it.”The argument could linger beyond spring training.“I’m sure we’ll revisit this in-season http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey ,” Hinch said.Hinch said about a week ago Hernandez told him that he gets about four ball-strike calls wrong per game.After a few of those calls didn’t go Houston’s way in the top of the first inning, Hinch said he calmly made a suggestion to Hernandez as the Astros prepared to bat.“We have technology to help you get better and that these pitches are strikes,” Hinch said he told Hernandez. “He had kind of an arrogant attitude about it and didn’t want to hear it.”When Hernandez called the first pitch to Astros leadoff hitter George Springer a strike, Hinch said he thought Hernandez probably made the call out of spite.From the dugout,Hinch said he yelled to Hernandez that he’d used up his allotment missed calls, prompting the ejection.Hinch emerged from the dugout and began a lengthy and at times heated conversation with Hernandez at home plate.“When you argue balls and strikes you get thrown out, I get it,” Hinch said. “As it escalated, he said some condescending things that are inappropriate Justin Verlander Jersey , unprofessional. I’ll leave it at that and we’ll move on to the next game.”First base umpire CB Bucknor attempted to intervene, but Hinch wouldn’t leave the plate area for more than two minutes. At one point, Hernandez clapped his hands as if to say let’s go, argument over.Hinch mockingly clapped back at him.“I should thank CB. He was the voice of reason in all of it,” Hinch said. “CB was super calm about it, he just wanted the game to continue.”As Hinch grew more agitated, he was restrained by both Springer and coach Alex Cintron. Hinch appeared to bump both Hernandez and Bucknor at least once each.At one point during the argument, Cardinals starter Daniel Ponce de Leon elected to throw a warmup pitch, doing so while Hinch stood in the right-handed batter’s box Houston Astros Jersey , his back to the plate.Hinch stopped to talk for several seconds with third base umpire Mike Estabrook on his way down the left field line to the Astros clubhouse.Hernandez came under scrutiny during the AL playoffs last year when he had three calls at first base overtuned by replay during a Red Sox-Yankees game in New York.Hernandez, 57, joined the Major League Baseball umpiring staff in 1993.Hinch said he considered making the 15-minute drive to Jupiter where the other half of the Astros were playing a second split-squad game against the Cardinals.“I didn’t think about managing it, but I thought about showing up and shocking, the whole side of that,” Hinch said.The Astros’ side that Hinch had been managing won 5-0. The other squad of Astros beat St. Louis 11-2.