Start Won't Give Jackson An Edge

ST. PETERSBURG - Nothing should be read into the decision to give Edwin Jackson the first start of the Grapefruit League season, according to Rays manager Joe Maddon.

"It's his turn," Maddon said Saturday after announcing Jackson would start Friday's game against the Reds in Sarasota. "We had to pick somebody."

Jackson is one of five pitchers vying for a spot in the Rays' rotation, but a start right out of the gate shouldn't have much impact one way or another. All pitchers typically throw one inning in their first game action, so Jackson will have no advantage against his competitors - Andy Sonnanstine, Jason Hammel, J.P. Howell and Jeff Niemann.

The sure things in the Rays' rotation will follow Jackson, as Scott Kazmir will get the ball for the spring home opener Saturday against the Blue Jays at Progress Energy Park, and James Shields will start the following day against the Pirates in Bradenton.

With the schedule set up that way, Kazmir would be in line to start Opening Day at Baltimore. No surprise there, but Maddon didn't want to make an official announcement of who would be pitching March 31 just yet.

Kazmir will start Tuesday's 11 a.m. intrasquad game at the Naimoli Complex, with Troy Percival getting the ball first for the other team. Also scheduled to pitch Tuesday are Jackson, Hammel, Sonnanstine, Al Reyes, Grant Balfour, David Price, Chris Mason, Jake McGee, Trever Miller, Dan Wheeler, Chad Orvella and James Houser.

Wednesday's intrasquad, also at 11, will see Shields and Matt Garza start. They'll be followed on the mound by Howell, Niemann, Gary Glover, Scott Munter, Calvin Medlock, Scott Dohmann, Kurt Birkins, Jae Kuk Ryu, Mitch Talbot and Wade Davis.

TICK-TOCK: Of the three Rays players still stuck in the Dominican Republic with visa problems, reliever Juan Salas has the most to lose.

He already has plenty of competition for one of the two open spots in the bullpen, and he likely is in the mix for just one slot, since a long reliever probably will take the other. While the likes of Balfour, Dohmann, Orvella and Birkins have been pitching in camp for more than a week, Salas has been working at the Rays' Dominican academy with fellow absentees Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman.

While Aybar likely will make the team because the Rays need an alternative at third base and he is out of options and Guzman probably could use some more seasoning in Triple-A, Salas is losing ground by the day.

"The longer he's out, the more difficult it's going to be for him, compared to the other two guys and what they're vying for," Maddon said.

The Rays expect Aybar and Guzman in camp by Tuesday or Wednesday but have no clear idea when Salas might arrive.

NOTEWORTHY: Hammel signed a one-year deal, leaving 10 players unsigned. ... The Rays released their television schedule Saturday, with 144 games slated to be aired on FSN Florida (75); WXPX, Channel 66 (67) and Sun Sports (two). The March 31 opener will be shown over the air on Channel 66 at 3:05 p.m., and all four games of the season-ending series at Detroit will be televised. Only one of the final three was shown last season. ... FSN Florida also will show Grapefruit League games against the Tigers on March 16 and the Reds on March 28 - the last game scheduled for Progress Energy Park.

Marc Lancaster