ST. PETERSBURG — INF Tim Beckham struck out Wednesday in his first at-bat of the season, then he lined a bases-loaded single in his next at-bat to start the Rays’ comeback in the 5-3 win against the Blue Jays. RF Steven Souza Jr. drove in the next four runs with a pair of home runs, but he started his postgame interview session by praising Beckham, who hadn’t played since April 1 during the Rays’ final spring training game.
That is the plight of the bench player, who gets plenty of at-bats in March, then sits once the regular season begins.