Girardi may pick Rays' Price to start All-Star Game

AL manager Joe Girardi stopped short of naming Rays LHP David Price his starting pitcher for Tuesday night's All-Star Game, but not real short.

Girardi on Thursday called Price (12-4, 2.42 ERA) "an extremely strong candidate" and made a logical case for starting the 2007 No. 1 overall pick.

"When you look at the five (starters) we have going - you have to exclude (Clay) Buchholz because he's on the DL - Price, (Cliff) Lee, Phil Hughes, Jon Lester, (Andy) Pettitte. These are all qualified guys," Girardi said in a conference call.

"You look at who's on turn. Price is leading the American League in wins. He's an extremely strong candidate. I think he's second in ERA. He's had a fabulous first half, and we'll look at that as we get closer to Sunday."

Price has one more win than CC Sabathia, who is ineligible because he pitches Sunday, and the 24-year-old's ERA ranks second to Lee's 2.34. Price is not scheduled to pitch again until July 16 in New York.

It's still possible Girardi could go with a sentimental choice and start one of his Yankees pitchers. Pettitte is 38 and could be appearing in his final All-Star Game. He was 10-2 with a 2.82 ERA entering a start at Seattle late Thursday.

Last year, when managing the AL squad, Rays manager Joe Maddon selected Roy Halladay over AL ERA leader Zack Greinke because of his "body of work."

No room yet

Maddon said the Rays are paying attention to Dan Johnson's dazzling numbers at Triple-A Durham, but they aren't looking to "auger out a spot for him."

Johnson, best known for his game-tying home run off Boston's Jonathan Papelbon during the 2008 pennant race, leads the International League in home runs with 23 and RBIs with 78 and is hitting .302.

His home runs were the second-most in all the minor leagues.

"This guy is a professional hitter, he works good at-bats, he's not just down there being lucky getting hits," Maddon said. "It just indicates he's ready; he's able to play here if opportunity knocks."

Johnson is listed as a third baseman and has been playing left field for Durham. Maddon said he would likely play first base or DH with the Rays.

Back to day job

RHP Matt Garza said he felt fine after his ninth-inning relief appearance Wednesday. Maddon said he'll start as scheduled Saturday, adding, "we'll have him on a shorter leash."

Garza, who pitched only three innings in his last start Monday, earned his first career save after getting the final two outs in the Rays' 6-4 win against the Red Sox on Wednesday.

He said the relief stint didn't place any more stress on his arm than his normal between-starts bullpen session.

"It's the same intensity level," he said. "I can only work one way, and that's hard."

Odds and ends

Hittrackeronline.com gave 3B Evan Longoria's towering home run off the D-ring catwalk in left field Wednesday night a "true distance" of 451 feet. The Rays gave a distance of 442 feet. ... In case you were wondering: Former Rays DH Pat Burrell was hitting .305 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 95 plate appearances for the Giants entering Thursday. Burrell hit .202 with 13 RBIs in 96 plate appearances for the Rays. ... Former starting C Dioner Navarro, optioned to Durham when Matt Joyce was called up June 25, was hitting .235 with one home run and two stolen bases in seven games entering Thursday. ... Maddon said the coaching staff will discuss how to set the pitching rotation coming out of the All-Star break today. "I mean, our guys need to know what's going on, obviously," he said. If the rotation order stays the same, Price, Wade Davis and James Shields would pitch July 16-18 at New York.