Rays' Zobrist out indefinitely after dislocating thumb on slide
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist dislocated his left thumb Wednesday and will be out indefinitely. Manager Joe Maddon said the Rays would see how much swelling Zobrist has Thursday before determining whether to place the player on the disabled list.
The injury happened in the top of the fifth inning of Tampa Bay's 2-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. On a stolen base attempt, Zobrist slid headfirst into second base and tried to avoid the tag with his left hand but made awkward contact with the bag. He grimaced and left the game immediately after he was ruled out.
Utility player Sean Rodriguez replaced him at second base.
Maddon said if the disabled list isn't necessary, Zobrist could return by the middle of next week. But Zobrist, who had the thumb popped back into place, didn't sound as confident.
"Best-case scenario would be that it heals very quickly, and I can get back on the field, I don't know, maybe within a week," Zobrist told reporters in Seattle. "But that's unlikely, I think. I think they're trying to decide right now whether we need to go on the DL or not. We'll see. So we'll see what decision is made and make sure it's fully healed before I get back out there. … Thankfully, it's on the top joint instead of the lower joint of the thumb."
A two-time All-Star, Zobrist has hit .260 with three home runs and nine RBI this season. He was 1 for 3 on Wednesday.
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