Miami Marlins 'outraged' about Red Sox lineup on Thursday afternoon

JUPITER, Fla., March 7 (UPI) -- The defending World Champs are making enemies and it’s only the first week of March.

According to Major League Baseball rules, spring training lineups must include "a minimum of four players who were regulars on the previous year’s major league team or who were platooned on the previous year’s major league team on a regular basis, or who have a reasonable chance to be regulars on the major league club’s squad during the upcoming season. Each of those regulars, excluding pitchers, must play a minimum of three complete innings.”

The Miami Marlins are “outraged” because the Boston Red Sox lineup for the teams’ game in Jupiter, Fla., on Thursday afternoon only included one such player, centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

Marlins fans paid “super premium” ticket prices for the Grapefruit League game because it featured the 2013 World Series Champions, but the team the Red Sox put out on the field certainly did not feature any premium players. Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and other projected starters were nowhere to be found.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that team executives were “outraged” about the situation and planned to contact the league office. If MLB finds that the club violated the rule, the Red Sox would be subject to a fine.

The game was called after eight innings because of rain and it ended in a 0-0 tie.

[Sun-Sentinel] [Boston.com]