The bad news continued for the Devil Rays Wednesday when they found out starting third baseman and cleanup hitter Aubrey Huff will be sidelined 4-6 weeks due to the left knee sprain sustained in Tuesday's game.

Though Huff was off to a slow start, hitting .182 with one extra base hit, he is considered one of the Rays top run producers and his absence will be felt throughout the Rays lineup.

""It's too bad about Aubrey, it's just one of those things we have to deal with,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ""Plug the hole in the dike and move on. It's unfortunate; Aubrey's one of the best hitters I've seen.''

Huff, who was placed on the 15-day DL, will not require surgery, but it could be June until he returns to the lineup.

With Huff sidelined, Ty Wigginton will take over at third base, at least for now. The Rays may not initially replace Huff on the roster, instead waiting until Friday, when Sean Burroughs is eligible to come off the disabled list.

Huff, injured in a fourth-inning collision with SS Nick Green, was the fifth Rays player to leave a game with an injury in the first eight games. He is the third member of the starting infield to be sidelined, joining SS Julio Lugo and 2B Jorge Cantu. The Rays are also wthout CF Rocco Baldelli, LHP Mark Hendrickson, RHP Shinji Mori, backup INFs Luis Ordaz and Luis Rivas, and Burroughs.

Cantu, who was injured in Friday's game, missed a fifth straight start on Wednesday, but expects to be back in the lineup Thursday.