Major League Baseball

RAYS NOTEBOOK

Published Oct. 18, 2010 10:13 p.m. ET

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Longoria won't play until division series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Evan Longoria tried but said he could not persuade Manager Joe Maddon to let him play during this final weekend of the regular season. So he's going along with the plan and will remain a spectator until the Rays begin the American League Division Series on Wednesday.

"I kind of crumbled under the pressure, but it's the best thing for everybody," Longoria said before Saturday's game. "The best thing for me is to try and get as close to 100 percent as I can be. And in turn, hopefully that benefits the team, and I don't reinjure myself and be out for possibly, if I did it again, I don't know how long I'd be out for. The point is to try and get back. I've said it before, when I get back, I want to stay back."

Longoria, who said he would play if today's game was during the postseason, said his strained left quad is about "80 percent."

"The goal is to become 100 percent by Wednesday," Longoria said. "I think everybody will tell you they're not 100 percent, but 100 percent of what percentage I got left at this point. I'm not looking to feel like a brand new person. I'm looking to get as healthy as I can."

Longoria, who suffered the injury Sept. 23 at Yankee Stadium and hasn't played since, said he would try to lobby for a pinch-hit at-bat today, but Maddon said that would not happen.

"He's looking good. He's saying the right things," Maddon said. "I don't want to push it right now."

Longoria went through a series of agility drills and took ground balls Saturday. Maddon said he liked Longoria's "bounce" and how he's smiling - two indicators the injury is healing.

As he has said since the team arrived in Kansas City on Thursday, Maddon wants Longoria to play third during the ALDS and not be limited to designated hitter.

Longoria, who will take batting practice Monday and Tuesday against the Rays pitchers not on the postseason roster, compared this injury to the hamstring injury he suffered in 2009. That injury responded well to rest and treatment. He believes this one will, too.

"I want to play, and it's not because I feel like I need to get at-bats and see pitches before the playoffs. It's just that I'm itching to get in the lineup and be on the field," he said. "That's the hardest thing for me, sitting on the bench and watching. So I'll deal with it for another couple of days, cheer these guys and hopefully we'll have another celebration before we start the playoffs."

Maddon calls team meeting

Maddon called his normal end-of-the-regular-season meeting Saturday afternoon to go over the possible playoff matchups and to commend the team on its good season.

"What I normally do is I recap the season a bit," Maddon said. "I talk about the goals we had set in spring training and just remind them of those and then compliment them on those, because many of the things we set out in spring training came to fruition during the season."

Maddon said it was not a motivational meeting.

"I'm really slightly baffled by the fact people are concerned with our guys," he said. "Winning 94 games, we've had two not Ray-like games. I totally agree with that. But I have a lot of faith in our guys, a lot of confidence in our guys. We will be ready for Wednesday and we still want to win this whole thing."

Playoff rosters almost set

Maddon and his coaches met with VP of baseball Andrew Friedman to go over the playoff rosters. They have settled on the four-man rotation, though the order will be determined by who the Rays meet in the ALDS.

The ALDS matchup also will determine the final spots in the bullpen and the bench.

Maddon said carrying 11 pitchers will not prevent them from carrying three catchers.

"There's still a couple of spots, there's discussion back and forth regarding a couple of different spots, and they're good discussions," Maddon said. "It's hard to come up with that definitive, 'Oh, this is the right way to do it. I feel good about this.' You can argue it back and forth. Two or three spots we're not 100 percent certain."

Odds and ends

B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford are the first teammates in major-league history to have 60 extra-base hits and 40 steals in the same season after Upton's fifth-inning double Friday. ? The Rays will complete the season having used only seven starting pitchers. They are tied with the Giants for fewest in the majors.

Roger Mooney

Photo credit: Getty Images

Photo: B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford are congratulated by Brad Hawpe after scoring in the first inning.

Photo: Evan Longoria

Copyright ? 2010, The Tampa Tribune and may not be republished without permission. E-mail library@tampatrib.com

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