Position Battles: Replacing Longoria

Jeff Keppinger, TB

On May 1 the Tampa Bay Rays placed Evan Longoria on the DL with a hamstring tear.  The team’s best hitter will be lost for six to eight weeks.  It is difficult enough for the low budget Rays to field a starting nine that is competitive with the big money teams in the AL East, and practically impossible to have a comparable veteran rostered as a backup.