TAMPA (620 WDAE) -- With just a week to go before the start of the 2017 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays find themselves with two new additions to the injury list.
Pitcher Alex Cobb, who was supposed to participate in an intrasquad game at the team's facility in Port Charlotte, had to be scratched due to lower back tightness, while Tim beckham, who was supposed to play in Sunday's Grapefruit League game in Tampa, had to be replaced due to an irritated hip flexor.
For manager Kevin Cash, the back issue with Cobb doesn't appear to affect his readiness for the regular season.
"I don't think we're very concerned," Cash said. "To my knowledge, he could have pitched today. We probably just said it doesn't make a ton of sense."
Meanwhile, Cash feels Beckham's removal, who is the frontrunner to start at shortstop with the delay in recovery with Matt Duffy, is preventative also.
"He just felt a little grab in his hip flexor yesterday," Cash said. "I just think it's smart to probably sit him out given where we're at at the end of spring."
NORRIS AMONG THOSE PLAYING INTRASQUAD: New Rays catcher Derek Norris was among the players that did participate in Sunday morning's intrasquad game on the back fields of Charlotte Sports Park. Norris got the opportunity to catch both closer Alex Colome and left-handed specialist Xavier Cedeno. Each pitcher went 1 1/3 innings and struck out a pair of batters.
Meanwhile at the plate, the catcher went hitless in four at-bats, striking out each time.
Outfielder Steven Souza Jr., who left his last outing with a blister on his left hand, did not hit, but played right and centerfield defensively.
GADEA HITS DL: To make room on the 40-man roster for Norris, the Rays placed RHP Kevin Gadea on the 60-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis.