Roster on verge of key changes

By MARC TOPKIN
Published June 29, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: James Borchuck] B.J. Upton, who was hitting .320, is expected to be used primarily at second base when he comes back from the DL.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays left town after Thursday's game with their roster intact but with several changes looming within the next week.

2B/CF B.J. Upton is scheduled to be activated off the disabled list, though probably not until next week because the Rays want him to test his previously strained left quadriceps more rigorously.

And though RHP Juan Salas is not expected to rejoin the bullpen Tuesday when his 50-game suspension ends, the Rays do have to reinstate him to the 40-man roster, which will require someone to be dropped.

The harder Upton runs in minor-league games in Tampa the next two nights, the quicker he will get back to the majors.

Upton, out since June 8, played five innings at second and went 0-for-3 for Class A Vero Beach at Tampa on Thursday but, manager Joe Maddon said, ran only a pedestrian 4.5-5.1 seconds home-to-first.

"I'd like to see him be able to test that a little bit more diligently and see how he feels, " Maddon said. "He knows how he feels. Whenever you have an injury like that, the biggest thing is that's more of a mental hurdle than it is a physical one. You have to really permit yourself and challenge yourself to do those things."

Upton, who was hitting .320, is expected to be used primarily at second base when he comes back, which makes it sound as if Jorge Cantu could be the one to go rather than fourth outfielder Dustan Mohr. Vero plays at Tampa's Legends Field again tonight and at 7 Saturday.

Salas was suspended May 7 for 50 games for violating baseball's policy against performance-enhancing drugs and joined Double-A Montgomery last week on a rehab assignment. He made his first appearance Tuesday, allowing four of the five batters he faced to reach base and was clocked at only 90-91 mph.

"He's not going to be ready by (Tuesday) to pitch here, " Maddon said.

The Rays could wait, perhaps until after the All-Star break, to activate Salas, or they could activate him and option him to Triple A to pitch at Durham.

IT'S ED-WIN NOW: Although he won Sunday for the first time in 22 months, in 37 games and in 15 starts, RHP Edwin Jackson said he doesn't approach tonight's start in Cleveland any differently. "It's the same mind frame win, lose or draw, " Jackson said. "Just try to keep it going."

AKI'S WORLD: Akinori Iwamura is looking forward to a couple of big events next week. On Tuesday in Boston, the Rays are scheduled to get their first look at Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka in what will be a major media event, and on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, his wife, Masaki, is due to deliver their first child.

GETTING BETTER: Pitching coach Jim Hickey visited pregame and said he "feels great" in his recovery from surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye, though he has a constant headache. Hickey, wearing a bandage over the eye, hopes to be cleared to fly next week and rejoin the team Tuesday in Boston. If he isn't, he will consider taking a train.

MISCELLANY: Carl Crawford snapped an 0-for-14 streak at the plate. ... DH Wes Bankston was in the lineup for Triple-A Durham but left Thursday's game before batting, with an apparent knee problem. ... The Rays don't appear to have much interest in veteran reliever Roberto Hernandez, released Thursday by Cleveland. ... FSN's Inside the Devil Rays profile of bench coach Bill Evers, which debuts at 6 p.m. Saturday, sounds thorough, starting with Evers being born in a New York taxi. ... RHP Doug Waechter, rehabbing from October shoulder surgery, had a solid second outing for Hudson Valley on Wednesday, allowing one run in five innings. ... Unsigned top draft pick LHP David Price of Vanderbilt picked up another honor, voted CSTV's national college player of the year.

[Last modified June 29, 2007, 01:30:50]