Rays' Jaso will get regular work behind the plate

Expect to see more of John Jaso behind the plate as Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon tries to find more playing time for the rookie catcher.

"I don't want him to go backward, either. He's been playing so well," Maddon said. "I like what (Dioner Navarro) did (Tuesday). I'm anticipating another good game (Wednesday), but I think I've got to get (Jaso) back out there."

Jaso will start tonight's game against Seattle, even though the Mariners are throwing LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith.

"The thing about Jaso that is really neat is even though he's a left-handed hitter, lefties don't bother him, so that's the part you really have to keep an eye on, picking the right lefty for him to hit against," Maddon said.

Jaso is batting .286 against left-handers, which allows Maddon to move away from a strict platoon with Jaso facing right-handed pitchers and Navarro facing lefties, especially since Navarro is batting .118 against lefties.

Maddon said Navarro will start Friday against lefty Gio Gonzalez and Jaso will play Saturday against Oakland righty Ben Sheets. Maddon said he hasn't decided yet which catcher will face Oakland lefty Dallas Braden on Sunday.

Niemann looks for second 'W'

Given his 2.76 ERA, the fact he led the team in victories last season and the success of the Rays' rotation this year, it's kind of hard to believe RHP Jeff Niemann, who makes his sixth start tonight, has only one victory

"That's baseball," Niemann said. "Things will definitely even out over the course of the season. I like to get off to a good start and have the numbers reflect that, but the team is playing great. That's all I can ask for."

Odds and ends

The Rays still led the major leagues with a .315 team average with runners in scoring position before Wednesday's actions despite hitting .120 (3-for-25) with RISP in their previous four games. The Rays batted .176 as a team during those games yet managed to go 2-2 ... The Rays' starters had pitched 70 percent of the 239 innings played by the Rays before Wednesday's game ... Maddon said there was nothing new to report on LHP J.P. Howell (left shoulder weakness), C Kelly Shoppach (right knee surgery) and RF Matt Joyce (right elbow strain), other than that their respective rehabs are going as planned. ... Game-time temperature Wednesday night was 51 degrees. The roof was open at Safeco Field. The average game-time temperature during the Rays first 11 road games was 49, with a high of 66 in Baltimore and lows of 39 in Boston and Chicago.