The Rays Opening Day lineup for 2026 has been posted by manager Kevin Cash, and has some surprises compared to the expected starters for the season, in part because a left hander is on the mound in for -Rays first round pick Matthew Liberatore, who was traded to St. Louis in the January 2020 deal for Randy Arozarena.
Liberatore has been on the Cardinals since 2022, and makes his first Opening Day start opposite of Drew Rasmussen, who also gets the nod for the first time.
Here’s how the Rays line up against the Cardinals southpaw:
