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Longoria Back In Limited Role

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

TORONTO - It will be at least a few more days before Evan Longoria is allowed to return to the starting lineup, but he took a big step forward Saturday.

Following a pregame session in which he took about 45 swings and felt minimal pain, Longoria was activated from the 15-day disabled list shortly before game time.

Longoria will be limited to late-inning defense and pinch-running until his fractured right wrist demonstrates it can handle the rigors of hitting, but being able to put his spikes on and possibly get into a game in the meantime was a step the third baseman wanted to take.

"I've been wanting to be activated for the last five days, just to be in there and prepare myself mentally," Longoria said. "I don't think it has any bearing on the timeframe. I think we're still going to be probably shooting for the first game in New York."

Sidelined since Aug. 8, the day after he was hit by a J.J. Putz pitch in Seattle, Longoria said the work he did Saturday showed him he was "almost 100 percent." He took about 15 swings with a fungo bat, then moved up to a regulation bat for the first time since his injury and took about 30 more cuts.

"Just very, very minimal pain swinging," was how Longoria described Saturday's experience. "And we've talked about it before - there's going to be pain. It's not going to be a pain-free thing. Wrist injuries are what they are and there's probably going to be pain until the offseason, at least."

He'll hit balls off the tee for the first time today and perhaps take some soft toss, and he's hoping to take regular batting practice Monday in Boston. If all goes well there, he could be back in the lineup when the Rays arrive in the Bronx on Friday.

GETTING IT DOWN: Manager Joe Maddon said he wasn't sure if he'd call upon Akinori Iwamura to lay down a sacrifice bunt in another situation like the one the Rays faced Friday night. Iwamura couldn't place the ball in the right spot Friday, three weeks after a similar failure to execute in Oakland.

"It's a situation that you want to put people into that role based on whether or not you think they're good at that," Maddon said Saturday. "The first time he didn't get it right, and trust me, that was in the back of my mind Friday even by putting it on. But I just thought the particular moment was perfect for it, and knowing Aki, he's pretty hard on himself, he's going to get it right the next time. So I thought there was a pretty good shot."

C.C. ON TRACK: LF Carl Crawford's Friday checkup with Donald Sheridan in Arizona showed that "all is healing well" after surgery to repair a tendon in his right hand, Maddon said.

The original timetable for Crawford's return, which would have him back the final weekend of the regular season as the best-case scenario, remains in place, according to Maddon.

NOTEWORTHY: C John Jaso made his big-league debut in the 13th inning, grounding out to first base as a pinch-hitter. ... DH Cliff Floyd's seven-game hitting streak ended as he went 0-for-3. ... Maddon said Iwamura may get today off and C Shawn Riggans will start the series finale. ... The Rays signed a two-year extension of their agreement with Rookie-level Hudson Valley, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported.

Marc Lancaster

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