Zobrist misses game due to death in the family

2B Ben Zobrist isn't at the game, he went home to Illinois due to a death in the family, the Rays said. He is expected back for Saturday's game. That means the Rays are playing with just two reserves - Gabe Kapler and C Dioner Navarro.

Aybar deal done, could be worth $4.525 M

The Rays officially announced the signing of INF Willy Aybar to a two-year deal with a 2011 option that could be worth $4.525 million.

"We've had the chance over the last year to really get to know Willy and we feel he brings a lot of our club,'' executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "He's got positional flexibility, good at-bats from both sides of the plate, and we feel he's going to fit in here for a number of years.''

Aybar will get $975,000 this season and $1.35-million in 2010, then either a $2.2-million salary in 2011 or a $275,000 buyout. There are escalator clauses, based on how much he plays, that could increase the 2010 and 2011 salaries, and the whole deal to around $6-million.

It is a little bit unusual for a team to sign a reserve player to a multi-year deal, but Friedman said the Rays were pleased with what Aybar has done and what he might be able to do.

"It's hard for us to look out a couple years and not feel like he fits in to our club,'' Friedman said. "There's always a scenario where he could earn more at-bats some point down the road. We feel like he possesses that ability at some point to do that, and we don't think it's that great of a risk being that we feel he will fit in as we look ahead.

Also, how he has done things. After acquiring Aybar from Atlanta before last season, and knowing he had had substance abuse and a domestic issue in his past, the Rays wanted to see how he handled himself and get to know him, and were impressed.

"It's just the way he fit in,'' Friedman said. "Tremendous teammate, great work ethic, he possessed a lot of things you don't really know until you get somebody in the organization. He embodies a lot of what we're looking for in a player in that respect.''

Aybar had filed for arbitration, seeking $1,050,00 while the Rays offered $900,000. Aybar is a Super Two player, so this was his first of four arbitration eligible seasons.

Rays add Dan Johnson

Update, 6 p.m.
Carlos Pena said he couldn't believe how good he felt when he woke up Friday and is confident he will return soon to the lineup. He had an MRI on Friday that was negative, took some batting practice and said he felt only a "little bit" of soreness. "I think it will be a non-issue,'' Pena said.

Update, 4:05 p.m.
Dan Johnson is still in Oakland and not on the lineup card, which means he won't be arriving in time to play tonight. Manager Joe Maddon said the Rays didn't know if Johnson would be here Saturday either, so it could be Sunday, or Tuesday, until he joins the Rays. Maddon said he didn't know yet how Johnson would be used.

1B Carlos Pena, who left Thursday's game with right hamstring tightness, is not in the lineup, but is feeling good enough, according to manager Joe Maddon, that he might be available as a pinch-hitter tonight and could be the DH on Saturday.

And while the Rays are playing the White Sox here, there is another important game Friday night in Vero Beach, where ace LHP Scott Kazmir is making the first of three scheduled rehab starts, and C Dioner Navarro is catching.

Maddon also acknowledged that the pending decision between veteran Mike DiFelice and Shawn Riggans as the backup to Navarro is "becoming a tough call' based on how well DiFelice is playing.

As it is now, this is the lineup:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Hinske, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Gomes, dh
DiFelice, c
Haynes, rf
Bartlett, ss
Niemann, p

With Cliff Floyd out and Carlos Pena at least sore, the Rays claimed former Oakland 1B/DH Dan Johnson off waivers Friday.

Johnson, designated for assignment by the A's after one at-bat this season, played most of the past three seasons with Oakland, compiling a .249 average with 42 homers and 157 RBIs. He was most productive last season, hitting 18 homers with 62 RBIs in 117 games, but posting just a .236 average.
The Rays will have to make room not just on the 25-man roster but also the 40-man roster. And they did so by designating for assignment Durham RHP Calvin Medlock, who was 1-0, 1.08 in relief for the Bulls. Medlock was acquired from the Reds last year in the deal for Jorge Cantu.

That could involve moving a player from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL, or designating for assignment a player with hopes of getting them through waivers, such as OF Nathan Haynes or Durham INF/OF Joel Guzman.

Longoria on the way; Niemann too

3B prospect Evan Longoria is on his way to St. Petersburg and will make his major-league debut Saturday.

"I'm headed that way,'' Longoria said late Friday before boarding a flight to Tampa. "I'm very excited, obviously. I hope I'm in there tomorrow."

The Rays made the official announcement after Friday's game, placing 3B Willy Aybar on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain (the ninth Rays to go on the DL and fourth since opening day) and saying he will out at least two weeks and possibly more than a month. "It's two to we-don't-know-yet,'' executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "We have to see how he responds to the treatment and really getting some time off.'' Aybar has been bothered by the injury since spring training and had played through it.

Top pitching prospect Jeff Niemann is also coming up, and the Rays confirmed that he will make his major-league debut on Sunday, starting in place of injured Matt Garza. Niemann was 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts for the Bulls after an impressive spring training.

The Rays made a somewhat controversial decision during spring training to send down Longoria with the explanation that he needed more seasoning at the Triple-A level. Though he was hitting only .200, he has gone 5-for-11 since an 0-for-14 start.

Friedman said: "Obviously we've been decimated by injuries a bit and it's not necessarily the ideal way that we wanted to call him up but we're confident in his ability to adjust at the plate and what he brings to us defensively is something that we felt was very important where we're going. We'll see what happens and reassess when Willy is ready to come back.''

Longoria did stay in the minors long enough - 13 days, two more than necessary under baseball's rules - that his eligibility for free agency, even if he doesn't return to the minors, should be delayed an extra year, until after the 2014 season.

The Rays will have to make room on the 40-man roster for Longoria before Saturday's game.

Longoria: Bring it on

The Rays said Tuesday they'd give top prospect Evan Longoria the chance to show in spring training if he's ready to be the opening day third baseman. And Longoria said Wednesday he welcomes the challenge.
"I'm feeling pretty good coming into the spring so I was just hoping that they would let me play and ... let them make the decision after the spring,'' Longoria said after working out with more than 30 other early reportees to the Naimoli complex.
"That's basically what I came into spring hoping would happen,'' Longoria said. "If they would have made the decision early, obviously if I was in the big leagues that would be good, but I feel like now it just puts a little more added pressure on me, which I like. It's going to make me work harder.''
Longoria, 22, is confident he can make the jump to the majors despite only 1 1/2 years in the minor leagues. The Rays expect him to be in the big leagues sometime this season, but may decide to give him a few more months seasoning. If so, Willy Aybar or Joel Guzman would be the likely starter.
"I couldn't come in thinking I wasn't going to get the job,'' Longoria said. "All I can do is stay positive, have a good spring and put the pressure on them to make a decision.''

Also:
- Rays officials will hold their official pre-spring media conference on Thursday.
- Reliever Juan Salas is the only pitcher or catcher not expected to report in time for Friday's first workout, delayed due to visa problems.
- Ex-Ray Greg Norton got a job, signing a minor-league deal with the Mariners.

Longoria will take his swings

3B prospect Evan Longoria will get the chance to show in spring training whether he is ready for the major leagues as the Rays have dropped the idea of making one of the spring's biggest decisions before the start of camp.
Manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday the Rays will base their decision on how Longoria plays during the spring, how he handles himself and other factors, and likely won't render a verdict until mid-March at the earliest.
"We're just going to have him come into camp and we're just going to watch it as it progresses and we'll make our decision,'' Maddon said. "We're not going to just pre-set it before camp.''
The evaluation of Longoria will be made independent of other players, Maddon said, and based on what it best for the talented 22-year-old who is considered a future star.
"For me, personally, it's the entire thing. There's no one area. He could come in and hit .500 and that might not make him make the team,'' Maddon said. "It's just going to be how we're seeing it progress, how we feel the whole thing is coming together, a lot of different things. ...
"I've got to see it on the field. I've not really been on the field with this guy. I love him. I've seen him in the fall league and I've had conversations, we've gone out to dinner. He's a major-leaguer, there's no question. When is the right time to make that happen, that's what we've got to figure out.''
Longoria told the Times recently that he hoped for the chance to prove he was ready and would have been disappointed if the Rays had made a decision ahead of time. They had been considering doing so because they prefer not to make evaluations in the spring, when the level of competition is inconsistent, and to reduce the pressure and scrutiny.
Maddon addressed the fans attending Tuesday's kickoff luncheon sponsored by the St. Petersburg-area and Clearwater chambers.
He also:
     -Reiterated that the competition for the two open spots in the rotation will include Jason Hammel, J.P. Howell, Edwin Jackson, Jeff Niemann and Andy Sonnanstine.
     -Said players will report to camp, which opens Friday, in good shape injury-wise, with no - thus far - unexpected health concerns.
    -Considers five of the seven bullpen spots taken by Troy Percival, Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler, Trever Miller and Gary Glover.
     -Doesn't expect any further additions to a spring roster that now stands at 56.
   

Rays add INF/OF Hinske

The Rays signed INF/OF Eric Hinske to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Hinkse, 30, spent last season in a reserve role with Boston (hitting .204 with 6 HRs and 21 RBIs) after playing the five previous seasons with the Blue Jays. Hinske, the 2002 AL Rookie of the Year, has a career .255 average with 85 home runs and 339 RBIs in 770 big-league games.
Hinske would provide the Rays with an additional lefthanded hitting option, and provide depth in case of injury, at first base, the corner outfield and DH spots, and could be another alternative at third base if prospect Evan Longoria is not deemed ready for the opening day roster.
Hinske will make $800,000 if he is in the majors.

Charges against Aybar dropped

Domestic violence charges against Rays infielder Willy Aybar were dropped when his wife withdrew the complaint in the Dominican Republic, ESPNdeportes.com reported Wednesday.
Aybar, 24, faced the possibility of three months in jail for hitting his wife but told the Spanish language arm of ESPN that he apologized for his actions (which he termed "a big mistake"), sought forgiveness and promised to improve behavior which he admitted was not "the most appropriate sometimes.''
The report also said that Aybar and his wife, Yessenia, 23, who have been married for seven years and have three children, have reconciled.
The Rays said they expect Aybar, acquired last month from Atlanta, to join the team in spring training, which opens next week. Spokesman Rick Vaughn issued this statement:
"While details of this situation remain unclear, we are pleased that it has been resolved. We are encouraged that Willy has expressed remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Rays are committed to providing a support system for him and his family when they arrive in St. Petersburg for spring training."
Aybar came to the Rays with a troubled past, having spent three months last season in a substance abuse rehab clinic.
"I know that if I focus I can become a great baseball player,'' Aybar said, "but also I want to be a good father, husband and citizen.''

Aybar out on bond, charges may be dropped

New Rays infielder Willy Aybar was released from a Dominican Republic jail on bond and the domestic violence charges against him are being reconsidered, prosecutor Rigoberto Santana told the Times this morning.

At a hearing Tuesday, Aybar's wife said she had "no desire" to see her husband remain in jail, given that the pair has three daughters and that he is a professional baseball player with international commitments, said Santana, quoting from the court decision.

Willy Aybar told the court that his wife was in the process of reconsidering pressing charges against him, Santana said in Spanish. If she drops the charges, prosecutors could still go forward with the case but it will be difficult, said Paulino Zapata, another prosecutor based in San Cristobal.

Santana said that the case has not been closed, however, and likely requires another hearing, though a date has not yet been set. As a result, it's not clear yet when Aybar would be allowed to come to Florida to join the Rays for the start of spring training. Generally, someone out on bond would need special permission to leave the country, said Zapata.

Aybar had been held since last Thursday and a prosecutor told espndeportes.com he could remain behind bars for at least three months, which would have forced him to miss at least part of the season.

Aybar was released on a bond of 300,000 pesos, which converts to about $8,876 in U.S. dollars.

The Rays have yet to comment on the situation. Aybar was acquired last month from Atlanta with the idea that he could be the starting third baseman until prospect Evan Longoria is deemed ready, then fill a "super utility" role.

Aybar, 24, came to the Rays with a troubled past that included going AWOL from the Braves last season and spending three months in rehab for substance-abuse problems, which his agent initially told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was "drinking and drugs." Between the off-field troubles and a right hand injury which eventually required surgery, Aybar missed all of last season. He had been playing for Licey in the Dominican Republic, but was dropped from the roster for the Caribbean Series.

- Saundra Amrhein and Marc Topkin

Aybar still a question

Rays officials were still awaiting word Tuesday on the status of INF Willy Aybar, who is jailed in the Dominican Republic on domestic violence charges. A court official in San Cristobal told the Times that Aybar had a hearing on Tuesday but she did not know if anything had been resolved. Aybar's lawyers are said to have told the prosecutor last week that Aybar's wife would withdraw her complaint, which could lead to the charges being dropped.