Surgery to keep Grieve out a month

ST. PETERSBURG -- Outfielder Ben Grieve is scheduled to have exploratory surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital today on his infected left thumb. He is likely to be out for at least a month.

"It's frustrating because it doesn't hurt me too bad right now," said Grieve, who last played Thursday against Boston. "But it's going to end up being the right thing to do in the long run that stops it from happening again."

Trainer Ken Crenshaw said Grieve had surgery on it while in the minor leagues and last year had an infection from getting jammed with the bat. The same thing happened this year but likely was caused by the bat irritating the area.

"We'll find out exactly what's going on in there. And if there is something and we determine an infection or what have you, then we'll probably clean it out," Crenshaw said.

Grieve was nine for his past 25 (.360) after starting the season 1-for-17.

"It's a shame. Ben was starting to swing the bat well," manager Lou Piniella said.

Piniella said the Rays would bring up a position player, likely infielder Felix Escalona, who is hitting .264 at Double-A Orlando.

OUCH: The Rays' Damion Easley said he was "sore and stiff" after a sixth-inning collision at second base that caused him to leave the game with a bruised right kneecap and quadriceps. Easley collided with Carlos Delgado, who left with a bruised left eye.

Easley said he believed he hit Delgado's helmet at first.

"I didn't feel any pops or anything that was abnormal. It was just instant pain," Easley said. "We hit each other, and my kneecap hit him flush."

Easley is listed as day to day.

WELCOME BACK: With Damian Rolls on the disabled list, Chris Truby was called up from Triple-A Durham after playing a doubleheader against Charlotte on Tuesday. He got the news at 3 a.m. Wednesday between Charlotte and Durham.

In seven games, Truby hit .306 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs.

"It's nice to get off to a good start, but it's actually tough to do it just because we had bad conditions up there with the weather," Truby said.

Truby said he arrived in St. Petersburg at 2:30 p.m. and got some sleep on the plane.

Before the game, Truby said he would be operating purely on adrenaline. It must have worked because he got a hit in his first at-bat.

Piniella said he would play Truby primarily against left-handed pitchers.

"He can play some first. He can play some third. He's swinging the bat fairly well," Piniella said. "Our choice as an organization, if we can, is to promote from within."

Truby opened 2002 as Montreal's starting third baseman and was Houston's opening-day third baseman in 2001. He was signed to a minor-league contract by the Rays on Jan. 6 and hit .200 in 10 spring games.

It was another chance at the big leagues for Truby, who was called up instead of Jared Sandberg. Right-hander Luis De Los Santos was designated for assignment, meaning the Rays have 10 days to trade him, release him or pass him through waivers.

MISCELLANY: Rocco Baldelli collected his 31st hit in the fourth to set a club record for hits in a month by a rookie. He got his 32nd with the winning single in the eighth. ... Baldelli also stole his first base. ... After making 16 errors in their first 11 games, the Rays have made one in their past 10. ... Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Devil Ray Terry Shumpert along with Rays employees and volunteers from the area will participate in the "Great American Clean-Up Day" by picking up litter along Friendship Trail and boat slip adjacent to the Gandy Bridge in Tampa. ... Former Rays right-hander Tanyon Sturtze, who was 4-18 with a 5.18 ERA in 33 starts last season, starts for the Blue Jays today. ... Right-hander Delvin James cleared waivers and was outrighted to Durham.