Cincinnati Reds probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Tampa Bay Rays, April 17

Cincinnati Reds probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Tampa Bay Rays, April 17

1. Probable starting pitchers
2. Cincinnati Reds starting lineup
3. Which Cincinnati Reds player needs to bounce back in tonight's game?
4. Which Cincinnati Reds player will be the X-factor in tonight's game?

Probable starting pitchers

Oh boy, after Sunday's shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, every fan throughout Reds Country is looking forward to the upcoming series despite the fact it's against the best team in Major League Baseball.

With the Tampa Bays Rays coming to town, the Cincinnati Reds will send Hunter Greene to the hill for Monday night's affair. After watching Luis Cessa give up nine runs in the first inning on Sunday, things will surely be better with Greene on the bump, right?

The Rays will counter with left-hander Jalen Beeks. The southpaw has made just 12 starts throughout his career, so Reds fans shouldn't expect to see Beeks in the game very long. This is undoubtedbly an "opener" situation for the Rays.

Cincinnati Reds starting lineup

Spencer Steer exited Sunday's game and is not in the lineup for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jonathan India will lead things off, and with Steer on the bench, batting second in David Bell's lineup will be Stuart Fairchild. He'll be followed by Wil Myers, Tyler Stephenson, and Kevin Newman.

Jake Fraley gets the nod against a left-handed pitcher and he'll be followed by Nick Senzel. The former first-round pick will be making his first start of the season at the hot corner. Rounding out the lineup are Jose Barrero and TJ Friedl.

Which Cincinnati Reds player needs to bounce back in tonight's game?

The list in long if you're looking for a Reds player to bounce back during today's game against the Rays. But TJ Friedl was 0-for-4 on Sunday and the Cincinnati outfielder left three men on base.

Friedl has been one of the best performers in the early-going this season, and hitting at the bottom of the lineup may actually put the 27-year-old to make an impact with his legs. If Friedl gets on base ahead of Jonathan India, be aware for some action on the base paths.

Which Cincinnati Reds player will be the X-factor in tonight's game?

If you're looking for an X-factor, how about Nick Senzel? The 27-year-old is returning to the familiar territory of the infield dirt. Senzel has looked to be in terrific shape since returning from his rehab stint and finally broke out with two hits in Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to Baseball Savant, Senzel stung both balls he hit yesterday. Each hit came off the bat at over 102 mph. Though both swings resulted in line drive outs, Senzel smashed two rockets over 100 mph in Friday's game against the Phillies too.