Molina held out for finale against Red Sox
Molina wasn't ready to play in the second of two games against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, a day after straining his right quad running to first base. The Rays did not intend to start Molina on Wednesday anyway, although were he healthy, he could've been a late-inning replacement in the field.
"He still feels it, so I don't think he's available tonight," manager Joe Maddon said. "I honestly don't know [what the outlook is]. I don't know. He and I talked and he said, you know, he's still a little bit sore today or whatever. I said, 'Of course it is, I didn't expect you to be able to play today.' It's day to day."
The Rays had four catchers available to them before Molina was hurt: Jose Lobaton, Chris Gimenez and Stephen Vogt. Lobaton's the best thrower of the bunch, a factor Maddon considered when starting him on Wednesday with right-hander Alex Cobb on the mound. The Red Sox haven't had too much success against Cobb, so Maddon felt Boston might try to put runners in motion.
"Vogt's the least experienced," Maddon said when asked about his options. "I think Gimenez, Gimmy is a quarterback game caller, I think he's really good. He blocks the ball well, receives well. Lobaton probably the best thrower out of the group."
The Rays aren't considering adding another catcher to the roster while Molina heals.
"He's going to get a lot of treatment today from the boys and then we'll figure out where we're at after that," Maddon said.