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Percival Likely Headed To Disabled List

The Associated Press

Troy Percival, center, is tended to by a trainer as teammates Carlos Pena and Akinori Iwamura look on in the ninth inning.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 15, 2008

OAKLAND, Calif. - The way Troy Percival looked after Thursday's game, with his right leg encased in a thigh-to-ankle brace and crutches necessary to navigate the clubhouse, it appears likely he'll be back on the disabled list sometime today.

Percival had to leave Thursday's game in the ninth inning after spraining his right knee while lunging to tag out Mark Ellis on a sacrifice bunt. The closer probably should have just fielded the ball and flipped it to a covering Akinori Iwamura at first base, but he thought he had it all along - until Ellis tried some evasive maneuvers and swung out wide of the first-base line, forcing Percival to chase him.

It was a moment or two after that before the 38-year-old realized something was wrong.

"I never felt anything pop or anything and I took two steps back towards the mound and I was like, 'What the heck just happened?'" said Percival.

He squatted down and back up, but a sharp pain was readily apparent in his knee and kept getting worse, forcing him to leave a game in a save situation for the third time this season.

Percival traveled with the team to Texas and is to be examined today. Because of the uncertainty over his situation and the fact that they had to use everyone in their bullpen Thursday, the Rays are expected to have another reliever on hand tonight regardless.

RHP Juan Salas and LHP Kurt Birkins are the two choices on the 40-man roster at Durham, and Salas seems the likely choice. The hard thrower is 4-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 28 appearances and has walked 11 and struck out 53 in 442/3 innings.

GO, CLIFF, GO!: DH Cliff Floyd showed he can still get up a head of steam Thursday, reaching base five times and coming around to score four runs - two of which featured him chugging all the way around from first base.

"I'll tell you what - once he gets rolling, he can still go a little bit," said an admiring Joe Maddon.

Floyd walked a career-high four times, scoring on a Willy Aybar double in the second and a triple by Aybar in the third, then coming in on a Justin Ruggiano single in the fifth. He also scored the Rays' final run in the 12th after picking up a double.

Afterward, he had ice bags taped to both knees.

"I pretty much emptied the tank today," said Floyd. "Luckily we came out on top, because if it had been a loss I would've been pretty disappointed."

AT LAST: SS Jason Bartlett finally got back on the field Thursday. He came on as a defensive replacement for the bottom of the 12th inning, his first appearance on defense since Aug. 3. There was an adjustment period, as Bartlett misplayed a ball for an error on his first chance, but otherwise reviews were good.

Maddon said Bartlett has a "pretty good shot" of returning to the starting lineup at shortstop tonight in Texas.

UNDER THE KNIFE: LF Carl Crawford underwent surgery to reconstruct tissue in his right hand Thursday in Arizona.

Rays spokesman Chris Costello termed the procedure "very successful" and said the team's medical staff was pleased with the way everything had gone. Crawford is expected to miss at least six weeks.

PANTHEON OF GREATNESS: Maddon picked up his 200th victory as Rays manager.

The win tied Lou Piniella's Tampa Bay total and put Maddon five behind Larry Rothschild for the all-time Rays lead.

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