Evan Longoria boarded the Tampa Bay Rays' charter to Toronto after Thursday's 7-5 win against the New York Yankees, but when the All-Star rookie third baseman will rejoin the lineup is anyone's guess.
"It's just a real nagging pain," Longoria said. "You see me doing all the normal things. It's not a pain where I can't do anything. But to perform my job, I have to have my wrist. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work."
Longoria was struck on the wrist Aug. 7 in Seattle. It was originally thought to be a bruise that would force him to miss a few games. But the Rays flew him back to St. Pete on Aug. 11, and X-rays revealed a fracture. The Rays expected Longoria back by Sept. 1, but that day came and went.
Now they don't know when Longoria will return.
Joe Maddon said Longoria must be able to swing a baseball bat for several days before the Rays will feel comfortable and activate Longoria from the disabled list. So far, Longoria can only swing a wooden stick.
"Saturday is the day I take some swings again," Longoria said. "I'll probably start with the little wooden stick again, see how that feels, then move up to a wooden bat."
Other than swinging, Longoria can do everything else required of a major league third baseman.
"I'm fine on defense," Longoria said. "My wrist feels fine throwing the ball from every angle. It's just the weight of the bat and the compression of the ball off the bat."
Rays and the breaks
It seems everything that went wrong for the Rays during the two losses to the Yankees went right for them Thursday.
Derek Jeter lined a ball down the right-field line in the first inning, but it was foul by inches.
Gabe Gross yanked a line drive down the right-field line an inning later, and it was fair by inches and drove in the Rays' first run of the game.
Willy Aybar dived to his left to field a smash by Jeter and threw Jeter out at first. In each of the first two games, Aybar stayed back on a grounder by Jeter, and Jeter beat the throw to first each time. The Yankees scored in both those innings.
More 'O' for the Rays
The Rays had 14 hits, giving them at least 10 hits in six of their past seven games and 12 in five of their last six.
Gross, Dioner Navarro and Cliff Floyd had doubles. Akinori Iwamura tripled, and Aybar homered.
The Rays have hit .340 during that stretch with 27 doubles, three triples and eight home runs.
More Navarro
Navarro tied his career high with four hits. He's done that three times, the last June 9 at Los Angeles. He entered the game hitting .197 since Aug. 1.
More Aybar
Aybar was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. He hit .314 on the homestand with two home runs and six RBIs. He's had at least two hits in 10 of his last 22 games. Since replacing Longoria in the lineup, he's batting .299 with five home runs and 16 RBI.
Noteworthy
Carlos Peña drew three walks, giving him 14 in his last six games. . . . Dan Wheeler needed one pitch to earn his 11th save of the season, tying his career-high set last season with Houston. . . . Alex Rodriguez hit his 550th home run and 205th as a Yankees. . . . Jeter was briefly tied with A-Rod for home runs as a Yankee. The three-run shot he hit in the ninth inning was the 204th of his career. . . . Scott Kazmir walked five batters, all with two outs. . . . The Yankees lost for the first time in their past seven road games.
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