"All-Star 3B Evan Longoria will accompany the Rays to Toronto, Boston and New York starting today, but his return from a fractured right wrist still isn't imminent.

Despite consecutive losses to the Yankees on Tuesday and Wednesday in which substitute 3B Willy Aybar wasn't as sharp defensively, Manager Joe Maddon said there's no heightened sense of urgency for getting Longoria back.

"We've had that sense of urgency from the moment he went down," Maddon said.

Longoria, who is batting .278 with 22 home runs and has a .971 fielding percentage, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 11. The Rays had targeted early this week for his return, but Longoria has continued to experience "nagging pain" in the wrist.

Although he has been throwing and running each day, Longoria has to back off of taking swings with a light broomstick. He's supposed to start swinging again Saturday but doesn't have a timetable for hitting live pitching.

"I'm fine on defense," Longoria said. "I mean, my wrist feels good throwing the ball at every angle. It's just the weight of the bat and the concussion of the ball off the bat is the problem."

The Rays are 61-41 with Longoria at third and 20-12 with Aybar at the spot. Aybar made a brilliant defensive play in the third inning of Thursday's game, diving to stab a grounder from Derek Jeter and then getting up and throwing him out."