Bucs v Twins

The Bucs travel to Fort Myers to take on the Twins again. Gerrit Cole gets the start against Cole de Vries. The game begins at 1:05, and isn't being broadcast.

Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Jose Tabata RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Gaby Sanchez 3B, Neil Walker 2B, Brad Hawpe DH, Brandon Inge 1B, Clint Barmes SS and Mike McKenry C.

Sanchez gets some more work at third base while Inge gets a look at first in a flip of their usual positions.

Pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Justin Wilson and ?

The young guys get another look, even though Cole is ticketed to return to Indy and Wilson has to throw some strikes to win Clint Hurdle's confidence.

• Chase d'Arnaud has a torn ligament in his thumb, and will get it checked tomorrow to see if he needs surgery.
• Paul Swydan of Fangraphs ranks the Bucs in the middle of the pack at the hot corner. He writes "It’s unlikely that Alvarez ever becomes the star you would hope, but last season put him on the trajectory to have a solid career. After all, he’ll still be just in his age-26 campaign in 2013."
• Puerto Rico eliminated the US 4-3 in the WBC as Nelson Figueroa, 38, stopped El Norte in its tracks, scattering two hits in six innings. He worked the black all night, and for those who wonder about all the hubbub re: framing pitches, Yadier Molina pulled balls in for his battery mate all night.
• Jennifer Langosh of MLB.com reports that even with Rafael Furcal's TJ surgery, Ronny Cedeno isn't guaranteed to break camp with the Cardinals. 
• For those who follow football, Raven's QB Joe Flacco's brother Mike was also a Baltimore athlete. He was a first baseman in the Oriole's system; but no more - he was sold to Boston yesterday.
• This day in Bucco history: Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner was born in 1906 in Harrah, Oklahoma. The Hall-of-Fame OF had a .319 BA over 17 seasons with Pittsburgh.
• In 1972, Pie Traynor died at age 72. The Cooperstown 3B also played 17 years for the Pirates with a .320 BA.
• And in 1992, the Pirates traded LHP John Smiley after a 20-8 season to the Twins in exchange for LHP Denny Neagle and OF Midre Cummings. Smiley went on to toss eight more seasons, mostly with the Reds, while Neagle won 43 games in his 4-1/2 year Bucco stint and would pitch until 2003. Touted prospect Cummings ended up a bench player who got parts of 11 MLB seasons to his credit.