When it came down to it, the Rays cared more about postseason roster flexibility than any sort of moral stand.
Tampa Bay today called up infielder Sean Rodriguez from Triple-A Durham and placed him on the 15-day disabled list with the broken hand he sustained punching a locker after a Bulls game last week.
The reasoning for the move is obvious: the Rays can include Rodriguez on their preliminary postseason roster now and then replace him however they so choose should they reach the postseason.
But it’s a shame Rodriguez gets rewarded in the process. Since the move puts him back on Tampa Bay’s roster, he’ll resume collecting a major league salary that’s probably four or five times what he was earning in the minors and he’ll accrue service time while on the DL.