Navarro's demotion by Rays sad but not surprising

It's a long fall from big-league All-Star just two years ago to a seat on the next flight to Durham, but that is Dioner Navarro's reality this morning. He was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliate after Thursday's game against San Diego, and it's a tough guess to say when - or if - he'll be back.

I'm not sure what the bigger story angle is here: The fact that Navarro finds himself in this predicament or the fact that absolutely no one can be surprised. He was hitting .210 with a .291 on-base percentage and had slipped behind Kelly Shoppach and John Jaso on the roster.

His future with the Rays has been an open topic for weeks.

With the Rays struggling to add punch to their lineup, they couldn't afford to carry a third catcher whose main value was defense. There was a lot of speculation after last season that Navarro wouldn't even be back this season following his fall-off in 2009. When the Rays picked up Shoppach - and already had Jaso in the system - it ensured that Navarro's time here would be short.

We shouldn't let Navarro leave town without at least acknowledging his role in the 2008 run to the AL championship. He was among the best catchers in the league for much of that season, as witnessed by his All-Star selection. The Rays probably wouldn't have been in the playoffs without him.

Navarro is a tough customer, too. He takes a pounding behind the plate and comes back for more, and it's hard to put a price on that.

Let's put it this way, though: outfielder Matt Joyce, who takes Navarro's roster spot, has a long future with the Rays.

Navarro probably does not.

The injury to Carl Crawford's shoulder Thursday heaped even more uncertainty on the Rays. He left the game in the second inning after making a throw from left field. He told reporters afterward he is the ol' day-to-day. Is it just me, or is that the first thing that is said about every Rays player who gets hurt?

I mean, I think Joyce was day-to-day for about a year and a half. He's here now, though, and the Rays need him to stay. He'll be here tonight when the Rays host Arizona. Through a quirk of fate, the Diamondbacks will start Edwin Jackson - the pitcher the Rays traded to Detroit so they could acquire Joyce.

Joyce was supposed to be part of the mix from the start this season, but a strained elbow torpedoed that and he had to work back the hard way. He's got the kind of power the Rays need in the middle of the lineup, assuming he can stay healthy and make the adjustment to big-league pitching.

It's hard to look at late June as a critical time of the season, but I think that's where the Rays are. Even with Thursday's 5-3 win, they have dropped four consecutive series to fall into second place in the American League East. They have 11 wins in their last 28 games, and now Crawford's status is suddenly cloudy.

It's not a comfortable thought.

Even if Joyce works the way the Rays would like him to, I still believe they need to make a move to add punch to the lineup. The non-waiver trade deadline is about five weeks away, and we know the Rays have tons of talent in their farm system. We also know how unwilling they are to part with it, but if the right deal is out there they may need to make it.

In the meantime, Dioner Navarro heads to Durham and an uncertain future.

It may not have been a surprise, but for all those involved that still doesn't make it any easier.