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Evan Longoria back for Rays after missing two games

 
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) tosses his bat after flying out in the first inning of the game between the Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Wednesday, May 3, 2017.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) tosses his bat after flying out in the first inning of the game between the Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Wednesday, May 3, 2017.
Published May 4, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG — Evan Longoria, who returned to the Rays lineup Wednesday as the DH after missing two games because of plantar fasciitis, was asked during the afternoon for an update on his foot.

"I'm in the lineup, baby! That's all that matters," he said.

When Longoria returns to third base will depend on how the foot responds to Wednesday's workload.

Manager Kevin Cash hopes it will be tonight during the finale of this four-game, home-and-home series with the Marlins, but that hinges on how Longoria feels when he returns today to Tropicana Field.

Longoria didn't put a timetable on that, noting that the infield clay at the Trop is a hard surface. Just the bouncing he does while awaiting the pitch takes a toll.

"Hopefully soon," Longoria said. "We're just really trying to get it to the point where I can kind of feel it's behind me. I don't know if it's ever going to be fully behind me."

A unique callup

The Rays solved their lack of a lefty in the bullpen issue Wednesday by recalling LHP Jose Alvarado from Double-A Montgomery.

The first Ray to come directly from Montgomery with no Triple-A experience since LHP Scott Kazmir in 2004, Alvarado made his major-league debut in the seventh inning and allowed three runs on two hits, including a two-run triple over the head of RF Steven Souza Jr.

"We'll try to do right by him and get him in some situations where he can get some comfort and then we'll learn a little bit about him as he gets a couple of appearances under his belt," manager Kevin Cash said.

Alvarado, 2-1 with a 2.38, 14 strikeouts and five walks in 111/3 innings at Montgomery, can touch 100 mph.

Tough two days

3B Daniel Robertson suffered an allergic reaction before Monday's game that required an epinephrine injection then played that night.

"It was a really weird situation, something I never experienced just walking out on to the field," said Robertson, who has environmental and peanut allergies.

On Tuesday, he was drilled on the left forearm with a pitch but since it was judged that he was swinging, he was not awarded first base. No biggie. He returned to the plate and singled.

"Unless I have to be carted off the field I'm going to be out there," he said.

3B Evan Longoria, who sat those two games because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, was impressed.

"I told him I better get back out there. I don't want to lose my job," Longoria said. "I don't want to get Wally Pipped. He knows I'm hot on his heels."

Miscellany

. OF Colby Rasmus will donate $1,000 for every home run he hits this season to the nonprofit disaster response organization Team Rubicon though his "Hitters for Heroes" campaign. The Rays Baseball Foundation will contribute $5,000 to the same cause for every Rasmus home run.

. The Rays beat the Marlins in the annual wives/girlfriends charity softball game by rallying from a 1-0 second-inning deficit for a 13-12 walk-off win.

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. The Rays have led in 16 of their last 17 games.