Notebook: David DeJesus ' foot sore, but no DL stint is expected

Published Apr. 1, 2014 7:22 p.m. ET

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Joe Maddon chose to be cautious with David DeJesus, but it appears the left fielder will avoid the disabled list.

DeJesus was missing from the lineup Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, a day after he left the Rays' 9-2 victory in the eighth inning when a pitch by Toronto right-hander Jeremy Jeffress struck his right foot with one out.

X-rays were negative. On Tuesday afternoon, DeJesus said there was slight swelling overnight, but a DL stint isn't expected.

"I know it's not broken, so that's good," DeJesus said. "I just want to make sure it's feeling good and see from there.

"I don't see DL at all. That's not something I'm looking at at all. It's just one of those things I've just got to get all that stuff out. I'll be OK soon."

Maddon, the Rays' manager, said he communicated with head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield about DeJesus' condition earlier Tuesday and chose to insert Matt Joyce into left field and allow Logan Forsythe to be the team's designated hitter. He said he considered using Brandon Guyer in the outfield and name Joyce the designated hitter, but eventually, Maddon chose the Joyce/Forsythe combination. DeJesus is listed as day-to-day.

"It's still a little bit sore," Maddon said. "So I was going over different options for tonight and chose with what you saw."

REVISITING REPLAY PROTOCOL

The Rays were close to challenging for the first time under Major League Baseball's new replay system Monday. However, a review was never made, and bench coach Dave Martinez revisited the situation Tuesday.

In the third inning Monday, Rays left-hander David Price almost picked off Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus at first base. Maddon walked toward first-base umpire Tim Welke to buy time. As that scene played out, Martinez spoke with video coordinator Chris Fernandez, who relayed the message that the play wasn't worth challenging.

There was a slight delay, and throughout Tuesday, some analysts spoke about how the communication between manager and umpire must be streamlined.

Will the process become easier?

"I think it will," Martinez said. "It's something new. This whole thing, everybody is just trying to get everything right. And it's great. With all the technology now, I think it's going to be really good for baseball."

JOYCE MAKING BEST OF DH ROLE

Joyce enjoyed a notable evening as the Rays' designated hitter Monday, but he made clear he wouldn't mind more time in the outfield.

Joyce was 2 for 2 with three RBI and one walk. He became the sixth player in team history to record three or more RBI on Opening Day. Still, accepting a larger DH role will require adjustment for him.

"I think for me, it's just going out there and knowing I can play every day in one of the corner outfielder positions," Joyce said. "But at the same time, we have some great outfielders. We have some tremendous talent on the team. For me, I just try to focus on the positives."

WIL MYERS' BIG NIGHT

Wil Myers went 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBI on Monday, placing him in elite Opening Day company. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the other two defending Rookie of the Year winners to earn at least three hits, two runs and two RBI on Opening Day are the Boston Red Sox's Carlton Fisk in 1973 (3 for 4 with four runs and 6 RBI) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Raul Mondesi in 1995 (3 for 4 with two runs and four RBI).

JIM HICKEY Q&A

The Rays' pitching coach answered fans' questions on the team's Twitter account (@RaysBaseball) for about 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon. Hickey's appearance was part of the Rays' "Twitter Tuesday" program that will feature a player, coach or front office member on Tuesdays that include home games. Among the highlights:

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.

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