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Rays' Longoria could be back within a week
Jun 15, 2012 (Tampa Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
ST. PETERSBURG -- There's a chance that Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria could return by the middle of next week if his left hamstring responds favorably when he puts it to the test this weekend for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
Longoria, who will miss his 41st game Friday night with a partially torn left hamstring, will be the Bulls' designated hitter on Saturday then play third base on Sunday. Infielder Jeff Keppinger, rehabbing broken right big toe, will play the infield tonight for the Bulls and DH on Saturday.
Rays Manager Joe Maddon said before Friday night's game with the visiting Marlins that he wasn't sure of Longoria's schedule, but said there would be a meeting Tuesday to talk about when the All-Star can return to the big club.
"We had talked about it, pretty much running it through Tuesday and then having a discussion with (Longoria and Keppinger) and seeing how they are feeling and what people are seeing from the other side," Maddon said. "I'm not overly concerned with Longo's number of at-bats or throwing the ball. He's been doing all that, baseball activities; batting practice, throwing, fielding ground balls, he's fine.
"It's about being on his leg, running the bases, sliding possibly. Those are the areas he needs to be tested in."
Maddon had said Longoria would need seven to 10 days of playing minor-league games with days off mixed in before he could come off the disabled list. But that schedule seems to have been amended.
"It could be sooner," Maddon said. "After Tuesday we'll know, and if there is any kind of hesitation then it will be about seven days. It could be possibly less if everything goes well."
___ (c)2012 the Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Fla.) Visit the Tampa Tribune (Tampa,
Fla.) at www.tampatrib.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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