Roster Is Starting To Take Shape

ST. PETERSBURG - Now that the Rays have resolved Evan Longoria's status and have a better idea when Ben Zobrist might be back, their roster picture is clearing up just a bit.

Zobrist, slated to serve as the Rays' super-utility man, had hoped to return from a hairline fracture on the tip of his left thumb suffered March 9 in time to make the Opening Day roster, but a medical check-up Monday foiled that plan. An examination by Koco Eaton revealed Zobrist's thumb isn't fully healed, meaning he will open the season on the 15-day disabled list.

"This type of thing, it takes a while, and you don't want to rush it because if you do there's a chance of displacing it and you've got to get a pin put in it and everything else," Zobrist said.

The Rays expect to have Zobrist back within the first five to 10 days of the regular season, a timeframe that should help determine who will take his place as the backup to SS Jason Bartlett, among other duties. Prospect Reid Brignac was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, so Elliot Johnson and Andy Cannizaro are the two candidates, each with pluses and minuses.

Johnson has been among the better performers in camp but has minimal experience at shortstop. The Rays will give him a start there today, representing his first game exposure there this spring (after he got his first time at third base Monday), and he said he feels "confident enough to handle it" in a pinch. Johnson also is on the 40-man roster, which could be a decisive factor. If the Rays believe Zobrist will be back quickly, they might not be inclined to clear a valuable 40-man spot for Cannizaro, who has played shortstop much of his career.

Also working against Cannizaro is a lingering back problem that has limited his action the past couple weeks. It won't do the Rays much good to carry him as an emergency backup to Bartlett, only to find him unable to go if his back tightens up in the colder weather up north the first week of the season.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: An examination of LHP David Price's sore elbow revealed a muscle strain. The injury isn't serious, but the timing of it could keep him from making his first start for Vero Beach until sometime in May.

Price still hadn't thrown more than a couple innings in any outing this spring when he felt something in his elbow while throwing a slider last Thursday at the Naimoli Complex. Between giving him some time to recuperate and then building him up to a full starter's workload, it could be six weeks before he makes his professional debut.

"The good news is obviously it's nothing significant," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "We had that sense pretty soon after it happened, but it's always good to get confirmation. Hearing the report, the biggest delay is going to be just in terms of building him back up, not necessarily getting him healthy."

STILL LOOKING: The Rays continue to beat the bushes for outfield help.

Free agent Reed Johnson is a possibility after he was released Sunday by the Blue Jays, and Seattle's Jeremy Reed is among many trade candidates the Rays have discussed.

Reed better fits the profile of what the Rays would like, as a young (26) left-handed hitter with options remaining, but nothing is believed to be imminent on that front.

If the Rays stay in-house, Eric Hinske making the team appears more likely by the day. He has started in the outfield four of the past five games and will get a look at his original position, third base, today.

TWO MORE DOWN: LHP Kurt Birkins and RHP Chad Orvella "more than likely" will open the year on the disabled list, according to Manager Joe Maddon.

Birkins, who has an inflamed nerve in his elbow, is farther along than Orvella (biceps tendinitis) but neither injury is considered major.

Those two are expected to join Zobrist, OF Rocco Baldelli and LHP Scott Kazmir on the DL to start the season. Kazmir once again played catch on flat ground Monday and will continue to do so for the time being, Maddon said.