UPDATE Manager Joe Maddon said the team gave Dukes "a personal day" off and did not know if Dukes would be with the team on Thursday.

"Elijah is not here today, and he's not going to be here today, and we're going to play one man short,'' Maddon said. "Just based on the events of today we gave him kind of a personal day and we're going to leave it at that.''

Maddon said he was "not sure" if Dukes would return to the team for Thursday's noon game, and that he had to talk more with executive VP Andrew Friedman "to really understand what we're going to do and what's going on with the whole situation.''

Maddon said he was informed by Friedman that Dukes "was not coming in.''

Friedman was not available before Wednesday's game, but he released a written statement through the team 30 minutes before first pitch.

"After conversations with Elijah and his agent today, the organization approved Elijah's absence tonight," Friedman said.

Also, B.J. Upton, out since Friday with a strained left quad, is again not available and it sounds as if could end up on the DL afterall.

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Elijah Dukes is not in the Rays lineup Wednesday, following a report of more off-field issues. The decison to not play Dukes was unexpected, since the Rays have no other centerfielders available. As a result Delmon Young will play center for the first time this season and Greg Norton will play right. It did not appear Dukes was in the clubhouse as of 4 p.m., which is when the position players were due on the field. And he did not join them on the field.