Evan Longoria had been limited to DH duties since returning from his hamstring tear two weeks ago, but he’s back at third base tonight for the first time since getting hurt on April 30.
“I’m excited to say the least. A little bit nervous,” he told Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.
Longoria has started 12 games since his return and hit .244/.294/.400 with two homers and nine RBI in 45 at-bats. His timing has been a little off: his 17 strikeouts in the 12 games match his total from the 23 games before he got hurt.
Longoria’s return to the field opens up the DH spot for Luke Scott, who was activated from the disabled list Tuesday after hitting two homers in eight rehab games. The wild-card leading Rays will go with the following lineup tonight:
LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
RF Matt Joyce
3B Evan Longoria
SS Ben Zobrist
1B Carlos Pena
DH Luke Scott
2B Ryan Roberts
C Jose Molina
With Longoria back in the field, the Rays sent down utilityman Sean Rodriguez to open up the roster spot for Scott.
