TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Rays' Longoria Assuming He Won't Play In WBC

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - Evan Longoria was back in the Tampa Bay Rays' clubhouse this morning and feeling better than Wednesday, when he went home early because of lingering pain from his wisdom tooth extraction last week.

The question that should be resolved within the next few days is whether Longoria will remain in Rays camp or head north to join Team USA in Clearwater as it prepares for the World Baseball Classic. Longoria was on the U.S. team's provisional roster, and he said he spoke to manager Davey Johnson last week but hasn't heard anything from him or anyone else since then about his status.

"I'm just going under my own assumption that I'm not going to play, and I'm going to take the necessary time to get ready for the season," Longoria said.

Most expect the U.S. team to carry two third basemen, and Chipper Jones and David Wright have been on the list from the beginning, leading Longoria to assume he'll make the cut only if one of them gets hurt or has a change of heart.

"I think it's just going to go based off seniority," he said. "Those guys were chosen before me, and I think if they want to play they're probably going to be the two guys that'll be on the roster."

Final 24-man rosters for the WBC must be filed by Tuesday, but there have been reports out of various camps this week that some players have been contacted and told they definitely will be on the team.

Also of note this morning, infielder Ray Olmedo is in camp and ready to roll after being the only player to miss Wednesday's full-squad workout.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT