PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Despite going into the season with just three starting pitchers, the Rays feel confident in their overall pitching depth.

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will anchor a staff that also features Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow. After the trio, Tampa Bay will go back to using the opener strategy that helped the club win 90 games in 2018.

“I think what we saw last year, that if someone gets nicked up and has to skip a start or if they have to go on the injured list, we think we have enough options that we can probably add another opener day,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Those options include Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos, Wilmer Font, Jalen Beeks and Jake Faria. Yarbrough and Chirinos seem to have an advantage in making the Opening Day roster. The duo struggled in their first Grapefruit League outings last week, but the Rays don’t have any concerns about them because of what they were able to show last season.

“We have a lot of guys,” Cash said. “The way Faria looked the other day against Minnesota was really encouraging. I think in fairness to Yarbs and Chirinos, they did a really good job for us last year. All signs point to them being in a pretty good spot.”

The Rays are content with going into the season with three starters, and they’re not necessarily looking for one of their other pitchers to establish himself as the fourth or fifth starter.

“All of that is going to evolve,” Cash said. “If Yonny or Yarbrough or Beeks or Font or somebody is really putting it in, then we’ll have a decision to make.”

Kiermaier set to return Tuesday

A bad blister on his right heel held Kevin Kiermaier out of the Rays' lineup the last couple of days, but the outfielder is set to return to action when the team travels to Sarasota to take on the Orioles on Tuesday.

“He wanted to play today,” Cash said. “But it just makes more sense to give him another day.”

Rays go through media training

Rays players went through a media training session before Monday’s game against the Marlins. It mostly focused on having a positive social media presence while also focusing on how to deal with being interviewed.

“I think it’s important simply with what we’ve seen take place over the last couple of years with just how things are interpreted in social media,” Cash said. “There’s many avenues for them to waste thoughts and perspectives, and we want to make sure we’re doing our part with [vice president of communications] Dave Haller and his staff.”

Up next

Non-roster invitee Ryan Merritt gets the start as the Rays take on the Orioles in Sarasota on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET. Brandon Lowe is scheduled to hit leadoff for Tampa Bay, with Ji-Man Choi, Willy Adames, Nate Lowe, Kiermaier, Guillermo Heredia, Kean Wong, Jake Smolinski and Nick Ciuffo also expected to start.