"The injury that has sidelined Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, an oblique strain, is common in baseball and can feel like a pain in your side.

But to those who have suffered, and treated, the injury, it's also a big pain in the rear.

"Some of them can be nasty," Rays head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said. "We hate them."

The recovery process can be slow and frustrating because the oblique muscles, located on the side and front of the abdomen, are involved in many baseball-related activities. Obliques are responsible for flexing and rotating the trunk, helping transfer the power generated by the hips to the arms to produce a swing.

Longoria was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a left oblique strain, with the team expecting the All-Star to be out at least three weeks. Longoria, who pulled himself out of Saturday's game, said an MRI exam revealed a "moderate" strain, and he hopes three weeks is the maximum.

"I felt pretty good going home, so I didn't expect it to be as much swelling in there as it was," Longoria said. "But modern medicine showed different."

Longoria, 25, likely will stay away from baseball activities for a few days as rehab usually starts with plenty of rest and a test of patience. At least three other Rays have had oblique strains, and all said it was difficult to deal with.

"It's really, really tough for anybody," veteran reliever Juan Cruz said. "Everything that you do, even if you cough, it hurts. It's a pain in the you-know-what.""