Ronnier Mustelier is out for the second straight game, including an on off day. He had a sore neck, if I remember correctly, toward the end of spring training, so that could be acting up again.

Other than that, today is notable because it's the debut of Josh Romanski as a Double-A starter. He'll face Billy Buckner, the unfortunately named Red Sox farmhand.

Here's the Thunder lineup

Abe Almonte - LF
Jose Pirela - 3B
David Adams - 2B
Zoilo Almonte - RF
Rob Lyerly - 1B
Melky Mesa - CF
Cody Johnson - DH
Gustavo Molina - C
Walter Ibarra - SS
Josh Romanski - LHP

Portland
Juan Linares - CF
Kolbrin Vitek - 2B
Bryce Brentz - RF
Reynaldo Rodriguez - 1B
Oscar Tejeda - LF
Dan Butler - C
Jon Hee - 3B
Ryan Dent - 2B
Heiker Meneses - SS
Billy Buckner - RHP

Portland's lineup and Mustelier reasoning to come.

Update - 4:13: The Thunder, per their email, have placed Graham Stoneburner on the disabled list and added pitcher Mike Dubee in his place. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he is the son of Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee.

Stoneburner spent three months away from the team last year recovering from a pinched nerve in his neck, so that may be acting up again. I guess we'll find out once we talk to the manager here in about an hour.

Update - 6:36: Mustelier's not hurt. Tony Franklin said before the game that, because the team has a great number of guys with multiple-position potential, we should get used to guys getting multiple days off. 

Stoneburner has stiffness in the area of his right groin. He's staying in Trenton for his treatment, which should be a sign that the injury isn't terribly serious. He said he was tempted to try to pitch through it, but with the cold weather the possibility of a tear and more rehab motivated him to speak up. 

Cory Arbiso will take his turn in the rotation on Thursday in Akron, and Michael Dubee -- signed by the Yankees Wednesday and added to the Thunder today -- will take Arbiso's spot in the bullpen. Dubee, the son of the Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee, is expected to pitch tonight. 

When asked about Cody Johnson's first home run on Saturday, a monster blast that went easily 480 feet,  Franklin said that not only wasn't it the longest home run he'd ever seen as a skipper, it wasn't even the longest Cody Johnson home run he'd seen. 

For that, he pointed to a ball Johnson hit last year in Reading, which Franklin estimated is "in Chicago" at this point. To say the man has plus-plus power is an understatement. 

In fact, the power trip just might have persuaded Franklin to pencil Johnson's name into the lineup again today. He said he consulted with hitting coach Tom Slater and decided that it was best to keep a hot bat in the lineup.