Though returning by April 29 may be an overly optimistic goal, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is making progress from his strained left oblique and should be ready not too long after that date.
From Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times comes word that Longoria took swings off a tee Thursday for the first time since suffering the muscle strain and reported no abnormal pain or discomfort.
If Longoria is able to progress to live batting practice this weekend, he may be ticketed for a minor league rehab assignment by April 26 or 27. He should be cleared after three or four games down on the farm.
Longoria was 0-for-5 with a walk before he suffered the unfortunate injury. Felipe Lopez and Sean Rodriguez have been manning the hot corner for Tampa Bay in his absence.