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Evan Longoria News & Rumors

Leaner Evan Longoria focused on playing all 162 games for Tampa Bay Rays
February 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Third baseman Evan Longoria looks a little different coming into camp this spring. After spending the past two offseasons bulking up in workouts, Longoria is 10 to 15 pounds leaner and considerably looser, emphasizing flexibility over strength in an effort to avoid the muscle injuries (hamstring, quadriceps, oblique) that have sidelined him during the past two seasons. "That was the focus for me," Longoria said Friday. "I feel great. So I hope it pays off." After spending the past two offseasons at the Athletes' Performance facility near his offseason home in Arizona, Longoria opted for a less structured workout at a smaller facility, similar to what he did before the 2009 season, which he"
Evan Longoria on Twitter trade talk: 'Completely false'
December 30
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Tampa Bay Rays All-Star 3B Evan Longoria on Thursday firmly dismissed a Twitter report that he was "disgruntled" by the Rays financial situation and "would welcome" a trade. "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria told the Times via text. "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.'' The Twitter account @MLBInsideNews first reported Monday that Longoria was unhappy and has perpetuated the report throughout the week, citing the accuracy of its information on other MLB stories, such as Albert Pujols heading to the Angels."
Longoria got right at just the right time for Rays
October 3
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Joe Henderson
"About six weeks ago, maybe two months, Rays manager Joe Maddon saw what he had been waiting for most of the season. Evan Longoria was finally swinging and running without pain. And for a runs-challenged lineup like the Rays, that meant just about everything. "He was limping to first and couldn't move laterally. His defense was suffering. And the oblique, when he came back from that, his swing was all messed up. Everything he did changed. He couldn't get to that normal, comfortable spot," Maddon said. "I'd say six weeks ago, maybe two months ago, they finally got him back to where he is supposed to be. He's got some unique hitting mechanics, so when they got him back he took off — I mean"
Rays' Evan Longoria continues to produce big-time power
October 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"With as many huge home runs as third baseman Evan Longoria has hit for the Rays in the past week, and the entire second half of the season, each seems to have a special feel to it. So when Longoria ripped a three-run homer in the seventh inning Saturday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series to pull Tampa Bay within one run of the Rangers, his teammates pondered the possibilities. The last time Longoria had hit a three-run blast to bring the Rays within one, he followed up with a historic walkoff homer in the 12th inning Wednesday to lift them to a wild-card-clinching 8-7 victory over the Yankees. "When Longo hit that big home run for us (Saturday), it's definitely one of those"
Rays capture AL wild card on Evan Longoria homer off Yankees after Red Sox collapse
September 29
New York Daily News
 
"Down to their final strike, the Rays weren't ready to say goodbye to 2011. Now they don't have to. Dan Johnson's two-out, two-strike home run in the bottom of the ninth completed a seven-run comeback for Tampa Bay, setting up Evan Longoria's walk-off solo home run off Scott Proctor with one out in the 12th. The Rays' 8-7 victory came three minutes after the Red Sox blew a ninth-inning lead in Baltimore and completed a September surge that put them in the playoffs as the American League wild card."
Longoria's heroics lift Rays to postseason berth
September 29
Tampa Tribune
 
"Evan Longoria heard the roar go through the Tropicana Field crowd. Odd, he thought, since nothing was really happening on the field other than his battle with Yankee pitcher Scott Proctor and even that wasn't particularly exciting. Oh, yeah, the out-of-town scoreboard. It showed the Red Sox had just lost to the Orioles, meaning a Tampa Bay Rays victory would send them back to the playoffs as the American League wild-card. At that point, Longoria said he just wanted to get on base, score the winning run. Moments later, he was watching his line drive sail over the short fence down the left-field line for the home run that capped an incredible comeback in the final game of an improbable"
Hellickson, Longoria lead Rays to blanking of M's
August 21
Tampa Tribune
 
"Jeremy Hellickson was brilliant. Evan Longoria continued his power surge. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays gained ground on the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the American League East. All in all, after an 8-0 suffocation of the Seattle Mariners, it was a very satisfying Saturday night for the 20,148 fans at Tropicana Field. "We need to keep sneaking up from behind," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We want it to be like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We want to be, 'Who are those guys?' "I love these days. We need more of these days." Maddon has gotten plenty of those good days recently from his starting pitching. Hellickson continued that trend, working eight innings of shutout"
Longoria now fourth on Rays' career HR list
August 15
Tampa Tribune
 
"3B Evan Longoria moved into fourth place on the Rays' all-time home run list Friday with the 100th of his career, an opposite-field solo shot into the Yankees' bullpen at Yankee Stadium. Of the 25 players in major-league history to hit 500 home runs, only 13 reached 100 in fewer games than Longoria, who did it in his 519th career game. "It sounds good," Longoria said, "but the goal is to stay healthy and see where that takes me." Longoria said before Saturday's 9-2 loss to the Yankees that the nerve injury in the bottom of his left foot is no longer an issue, having responded to a change in treatment and a change of spikes. Head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield changed the treatment from"
Rays' Evan Longoria sees power coming back as foot ailment clears up
August 14
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria didn't get back the ball he hit for his 100th career homer Friday, as it landed in the Yankees bullpen and someone there apparently unknowingly flipped it into the crowd. Longoria wasn't that disappointed, though, happy with his other souvenirs (bat, lineup card, game ball) and excited that he's finally feeling healthy enough to go deep again somewhat regularly with seven homers in his past 23 games, after hitting 11 in his first 67. "I think it's been pretty noticeable over the last couple weeks that I've been feeling better physically," Longoria said. The primary problem had been a nerve condition in his left foot known as a Morton's neuroma. But a change in treatment,"
Rays' Longoria has no comment on pot claim
August 13
Tampa Tribune
 
"Charlotte County sheriff's deputies made another arrest Friday in the March robbery of the Port Charlotte home rented during spring training by Evan Longoria, David Price and Reid Brignac, and they are looking for a third suspect. David Kimo Rufino, 19, of North Port, was arrested Thursday, while Steven Charles Vaughn, 22, of Port Charlotte, was arrested Wednesday. The third suspect, Tavarious Smith, has not been apprehended. According to the police report, in addition to watches, computers and Longoria's AK-47 gun, the suspects also took a "Rubbermaid style container" containing marijuana. When asked about that before Friday's game with the Yankees, Longoria said, "We've decided,"
Longoria trying to combat slump with new batting practice routine
August 9
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria has adopted an unusual batting practice program that he hopes helps him get back to his usual success. Rather than hit with the team during the standard 4:40-5:40 p.m. slot, Longoria three times this homestand has taken batting practice on the field by himself at around 2 p.m. The plan allows him to work one-on-one with hitting coach Derek Shelton, and also permits them to use video and hit for extended sessions rather than rotating with other players. "I've just been trying to get back to my old swing, and we're trying to put videos together of what it was like in 2009-10 and how it's been this year," Longoria said. "And it allows me when I take a good swing to stay in"
Rays need Longoria to play big down stretch
July 19
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Martin Fennelly
"Maybe this was the start, the real start, that two-run line-drive double to left-center in the first inning against the Yankees on Monday night. The Tampa Bay Rays didn't score in 16 innings Sunday night into Monday morning. Now, three batters in, they were up two. And for a moment, at least, it looked like Longo. That kind of at-bat, the one that made Evan Longoria an All-Star his first three major-league seasons, has been missing this season more than he and the Rays would like, and nearly nonexistent at the Trop. It's the kind of at-bat the Rays will need from Longoria, constantly, down the stretch. There's no margin for error, not like with those Yankees and Red Sox lineups. The Rays"
Longoria just hasn't been himself
July 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"There was a stretch of 15 games recently when no one in the major leagues drove in more runs than Evan Longoria. He won a game against the Reds on the last homestand with a walk-off home run and drove in five of the Rays eight runs during a three-inning span that stretched across two games and two cities. His glove continues to dazzle and his arm produces lasers to first base that take away sure hits. And yet, taken as a whole, from Opening Day through this weekend in the Bronx, it's hard not to look at Longoria's play and think, 'What's wrong?" He's booted routine ground balls. He's made some base running blunders. There have been stretches where he's looked hopeless at the plate. On"
Longoria: We had our reasons
July 9
New York Post
 
"The Rays had plenty of reasons not to want to play a day-night doubleheader today and they insisted keeping Derek Jeter from getting to 3,000 hits wasn't one of them. "I think the guys worry about the way we feel in here," Evan Longoria said after the Rays opted to not play two games today and instead will play the Yankees on a mutual off-day on Sept. 22. "We feel for his situation, going for 3,000 hits, but it's not like he's never going to get another hit again. The consideration was 'what's best for our club?' ... We're kind of banged up and stretched out right now." Longoria, the Rays' union representative, said the team's vote was unanimous among the players who voted. And it's clear"
Longoria says foot issue won't sideline him
July 6
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria was running tenderly early in the game due to a recurrence of an occasional nerve problem (a Morton's neuroma) in his left foot, but said it won't cause him to be sidelined."
Evan Longoria's walkoff homer gives Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 victory over Cincinnati Reds
June 29
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Walking off the field after Monday's game, possibly his worst in the big leagues, Evan Longoria had reason to hang his head. He'd been hitless at the plate and made a costly error in the field and an inexcusable mistake on the bases. Walking off was a little different Tuesday, as Longoria redeemed himself by hitting a home run leading off the ninth inning that gave the Rays a thrilling 4-3 win over the Reds. "It's always exciting to hit a walkoff," Longoria said. "There's really no feeling like ending the game and knowing that when you touch home that it's over. "It actually was pretty surreal. It was something I felt like I hadn't done in a long time to be able to contribute in a way like"
Longo's walk-off homer lifts Rays over Reds
June 29
Tampa Tribune
 
"The lead was gone, and now Evan Longoria was getting ready to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning. On came the batting gloves, which he shed Friday in Houston in an effort to get his swing back in order. In the tunnel leading to the Rays dugout, B.J. Upton told Johnny Damon the game was as good as over. "We don't have to worry about it," Upton said. "Longo's going deep right here." And deep Longo went, driving the second pitch he saw from Reds right-hander Logan Ondrusek into the left field seats Tuesday night to give the Rays a 4-3 win in front of 20,894 at Tropicana Field. "B.J. Upton is definitely psychic," Damon said. The win, their first in eight tries against the Reds, evened the"
Rays waiting for more from Evan Longoria
June 28
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist Gary Shelton
"Now, it is Longoria's turn. Eventually, it was bound to be. He was injured in April, and he was lost in May, and he spent most of June tinkering with his swing like a mad scientist. (What was he mad about? His average, no doubt.) Now it is darned-near-July, it is time for Longoria to take his team in his bare hands and carry it for a while. So far, the Rays' season has been a surprisingly effective relay race with different players taking their turns at being the hot hitter. It was Sam Fuld for a while and then Matt Joyce and then Casey Kotchman and then Justin Ruggiano. Somebody. Anybody. Now, with half of a season almost complete, it is time the Rays' star took over. It is Longo time."
Longoria hitting again, sans batting gloves
June 28
Tampa Tribune
 
"For the record, the custom-made batting gloves that Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria used to wear - the ones with Longoria's No. 3 stitched neatly into the side of them - were made by Nike. "But I wear everything else Nike, too,'' Longoria said, "So I don't think they'll be too disappointed.'' Probably not. After all, since Longoria tossed those batting gloves aside a few days ago in Houston, he's been hitting a lot more like the slugger that companies like Nike seek to endorse. He was until Monday, at least. Longoria went 0-for-3 during the Rays 5-0 loss to the Reds at Tropicana Field on Monday, but in his first 13 at-bats sans gloves, he was on a tear. Longoria had produced"
Longoria, Rays survive wild one in Houston, 14-10
June 27
Tampa Tribune
 
"Of all the decisions Rays manager Joe Maddon had to make Sunday afternoon, and he made a lot of decisions during a long afternoon at the ball yard, the biggest was really no decision at all. Trailing by a run in the eighth inning, bases loaded, two outs and a right-hander on the mound, Maddon called for Matt Joyce to bat for Sean Rodriguez. Never mind that in doing so, Maddon used the last position player on the bench, and, having already switched catchers, took his emergency third catcher out of the game. Never mind that if Joyce didn't come through, a pitcher would have to bat in the ninth with the Rays trailing. "Joyce, be ready," bench coach Dave Martinez yelled in the dugout as B.J."
Gloveless Evan Longoria has big game for Tampa Bay Rays
June 25
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria decided to take matters into his own hands. In an effort to break out of his latest slump, Longoria hit on Friday without batting gloves. And he hit well with a two-run homer and RBI single. It's a technique Longoria has used before, although sparingly; most recently, he thought, in 2008. "It's just one thing that I've done here and there," he said. "It hurts my hands really, so it makes your pitch selection a little better. "You don't want to swing at too many balls that you can't really handle." Longoria, who has yet to have an extended hot streak this season, is hoping Friday is the start of something. And you can expect him to try it again the same way tonight. "It's"
Misplay in center helps Evan Longoria get first inside-the-park home run
June 13
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Rays 3B Evan Longoria's last inside-the-park home run came in Little League … before Sunday. "There weren't fences," he said. "You hit one over the guy's head and just run until you can't run anymore." Longoria accomplished the feat in Sunday's 9-6 win over Baltimore, hustling for a two-run homer off RHP Jeremy Accardo in the eighth inning to become the ninth Ray to do so, and first since Carl Crawford on July 20, 2009. The play started with a hard liner to center that knuckled from right to left, fooling Orioles CF Adam Jones. Longoria initially saw Jones' glove up and thought it would just be a single. But it ended up getting past Jones, rolling to the wall, and Longoria went for broke."
Damon, Longoria power Rays over Orioles, 9-6
June 13
Tampa Tribune
 
"One more. If the Rays had any theme to an uncharacteristically theme-less charter flight to Detroit on Sunday evening it could have been centered on those two words. The road trip that seems like it began ages ago and included a tough start in Seattle, a historic sweep in Anaheim, a stomach virus passed around the clubhouse, rain delays and steamy weather in Baltimore, ends tonight with a makeup game against the Tigers. It has been, what? "Rough," Adam Russell said. "A tester," Evan Longoria said. And, with Sunday's eventful 9-6 victory against the Orioles at Camden Yards, it has been successful. The Rays are 6-4 with one more game to play before finally returning to Tropicana Field to"
Evan Longoria says he "felt like death" while battling virus
June 9
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria said he couldn't have felt worse, literally. "I felt like death for about two days there," Longoria said Wednesday. "I feel 100 percent better today. I'm glad to wake up and feel like I did because it wasn't fun." While most of the other Rays had just a nasty stomach flu, Longoria had it much worse, with a fever in excess of 102, a throat so sore "it was like a pile of red ants had sat in there all night," and enough other issues that he lost 7 pounds. Longoria was out of the lineup for a third straight game Wednesday on "doctor's orders," primarily a concern over an increased risk of a muscle pull or other injury since he was dehydrated, feverish and weak. He did"
B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria miss game with flu
June 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"A stomach flu making the rounds of the clubhouse left the Rays shorthanded Monday night, with centerfielder B.J. Upton and third baseman Evan Longoria the latest victims to be sidelined. Fortunately for the Rays, David Price was feeling just fine. Price delivered the dominating start they needed and Justin Ruggiano — filling in for Upton — led the offense as the Rays beat the Angels 5-1. "That's what I try to do every time,'' Price said. "Whenever we have some of our big players out like that you know you have to pitch a little bit better. You do.'' As poorly as the Rays had been going, losing three of four in Seattle and 11 of their previous 16, and as badly as some had been feeling, they"
Evan Longoria returns against Mariners, ready to go vs. Angels
June 6
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria didn't have lingering soreness in his left side Sunday, and the Rays could breathe easier. Longoria left Saturday's game with tightness in his left side — an area of concern since he had missed a month with a strained oblique — and didn't start Sunday as a precaution. But he said before the game that he felt better, and he showed it, delivering a key pinch-hit single in the eighth inning, then later snagging a hard-hit grounder and spinning around and throwing out the runner. "Physically I felt good," Longoria said. Longoria said he is "100 percent" sure he will be back in the lineup tonight when the Rays open a series against the Angels in his native Southern California."
Longoria hopes to play in series finale
June 5
Tampa Tribune
 
"3B Evan Longoria took himself out of Saturday's 3-2 win against the Mariners in the middle of the fourth inning because of tightness in his left side, the same side where a strained oblique kept him out of the lineup earlier this season for 28 days. "I made a couple throws in that last inning and it just felt like the start of what I felt last time and I didn't want to re-do that and take steps backward," Longoria said. "I felt like I caught it at the right time. I was twisting and I was turning and everything fine, but I felt like at that point I might as well shut it down and come back (today) and hopefully just miss half a game instead of 10 or 20 or whatever it was the last time.""
Evan Longoria's two-run homer rallies Tampa Bay Rays to 5-4 win over Texas Rangers
June 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The fist pump going around first base, admittedly a bit out of character, was the first sign of just how good Evan Longoria felt. The second was the huge grin — "Alfred E. Neuman,'' manager Joe Maddon offered for those familiar with Mad magazine — as he crossed home plate. At some point, Longoria was going to become Longoria again. And Tuesday night, when he hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth to give the Rays a hard-fought 5-4 win over the Rangers, was as good a time as any to put his extended struggles aside and come through with his biggest hit of the season. "It's been a process over the past 2½ weeks, and it was pretty relieving to come through in a situation where the"
Evan Longoria hopes to carry over lessons learned while leading off
May 30
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Evan Longoria's role as the Rays leadoff man may be short-lived, but he is hoping the lessons learned in the past two games will be lasting. Longoria, who was stuck in a 6-for-45 slump with one RBI in 12 games before moving to the top of the order, has since gone 4-for-7 (.571) with a home run, double, three runs and three walks. After reaching base seven times in the past two games against the Indians, Longoria told manager Joe Maddon it was exhausting being the catalyst. "I told him, you've got to be in shape to lead off," Longoria said. "It's definitely a different role, something I've never experienced. "I feel like I'm doing a good job of just seeing more pitches and getting into"
Longoria set to return to lineup against Jays
May 3
Toronto Sun
 
"The Tampa Bay Rays learned in the first month of the season that they could survive, and win, without Evan Longoria. The defending American League East champions emerged with a 15-13 record despite having their all-star third baseman go down with a strained left oblique in the second game of the season. The Rays without Longoria would be a bit like the Jays without Jose Bautista considering he has career numbers in April that include a .328 average, with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs. But the wait is over. Longoria is back. The Rays offensive catalyst is expected to be in the starting lineup Tuesday when Toronto opens a three-game series here. Longoria is supposed to come off the DL after"
Longoria expected to return to Rays' lineup
May 3
Tampa Tribune
 
"Evan Longoria had extra motivation during his month-long stay on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. Seeing his teammates battle back from a 1-8 start without him — watching them overcome the unexpected retirement of Manny Ramirez, woeful starts at the plate by several players and the absence of Johnny Damon at a critical juncture — helped Longoria push through the tedium of rehab. The three-time All Star and two-time Gold Glove third baseman will rejoin the Rays for tonight's series opener against the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, provided there were no setbacks in his final minor-league rehab start Monday night at Montgomery. Longoria says that had he known April 2 that the"
Evan Longoria will be nearly 100 percent upon Tuesday return
May 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said he will be "close to 100 percent" physically when he returns to the Rays as scheduled on Tuesday. Longoria, speaking on a conference call, said he has felt increasingly comfortable during his rehab assignment at Double-A Montgomery, where he will play his fourth and final game tonight. He has been out since April 2 with a strained left oblique. He said he expects to be about 85 percent comfortable facing big-league pitching on Tuesday but that it should only take him a couple games to feel fully comfortable."
Rays' Longoria set to begin rehab assignment
April 28
Tampa Tribune
 
"If you had May 3 in your "The Day Evan Longoria Returns from the Disabled List" pool, you're looking pretty good. Longoria is expected back that night when the Rays open a three-game series against the Blue Jays at the Trop. The third baseman, who strained his left oblique April 2 and hasn't played since, will head to Double A Montgomery on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment aimed at getting him 15 at-bats over a five-game period."
Longoria set to begin rehab assignment
April 27
Tampa Tribune
 
"If you had May 3 in your "The Day Evan Longoria Returns from the Disabled List" pool, you're looking pretty good. Longoria is expected back that night when the Rays open a three-game series against the Blue Jays at the Trop. The third baseman, who strained his left oblique April 2 and hasn't played since, will head to Double A Montgomery on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment aimed at getting him 15 at-bats over a five-game period. "Everybody is worried, myself included, about fatigue and soreness, the lingering effects of those first couple of games as opposed to getting the at-bats," Longoria said this afternoon."
Longoria takes 'huge step forward' in recovery from oblique injury
April 24
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria was so happy to have hitting coach Derek Shelton actually pitch balls to him to hit in the batting cage Sunday morning that they hugged. Well, maybe not, though Longoria joked, "It was emotional.'' Longoria took 20 or so swings, the first time since straining his left oblique April 2 he was allowed to swing at pitched balls, and said he felt great afterward. "It went as good as it could go, no pain,'' Longoria said. "Huge step forward today.'' Longoria will travel with the Rays to Minnesota, with plans to participate in full batting practice on the field by Wednesday and Thursday, then head out on a rehab assignment"
Longoria continues to progress
April 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"All-Star 3B Evan Longoria (strained left oblique) hit off a tee for the first time Thursday and again sounded optimistic about an early May return. "It's a huge improvement from where I was a week ago," he said. "And it felt good. There was no residual pain or soreness or anything. I think tomorrow I'll hit off the tee again and, hopefully, I can push them to let me hit some (tosses) or something." A strained oblique can be a stubborn injury, but Longoria has looked smooth fielding grounders and throwing. If he continues to swing without pain, he should quickly progress to batting practice and a probably short minor-league rehab assignment. He'll join the Rays for at least the first part"
Evan Longoria happy with rehab progress
April 15
Tampa Tribune
 
"All-Star 3B Evan Longoria said Thursday his rehab from a strained left oblique is going so well he is relying on the trainers to keep him from accelerating his schedule. The Rays' leading run producer has been out since April 3 and will miss a minimum of three weeks, although he is eligible to come off the DL on Monday. He stayed back during the team's trip to Chicago and Boston to receive treatments and begin a variety of exercises. He started running arcs in the outfield earlier this week, and Wednesday did rotational exercises with a medicine ball in a pool for the first time. "I feel really good," Longoria said. "This is the point in time where the trainers kind of have to do their job"
Longoria goes on disabled list
April 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"After seeing the MRI results Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays had no choice but to put 3B Evan Longoria on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. Veteran INF Felipe Lopez was selected from Triple-A Durham, arrived for the game and pinch-hit in the ninth inning, grounding out. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rays designated RHP Mike Ekstrom for assignment. Longoria left Saturday night's game after the fifth inning with soreness he first experienced in the batting cage earlier in the day. Having never had an oblique injury, he didn't think it was serious. "It felt a lot better than what (the MRI) showed," Longoria said. "So I guess we'll treat it like a two- or three-week"
Evan Longoria goes to 15-day disabled list with strained left oblique
April 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"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"
Rays' Longoria goes to 15-day disabled list with strained left oblique
April 3
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Longoria was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique, with manager Joe Maddon saying he was expected to miss at least three weeks. Veteran INF Felipe Lopez, who had been assigned to Triple-A Durham, will join the Rays in time for today's game. A corresponding 40-man roster move has to be made to make room for Lopez. The Rays had Longoria undergo an MRI Sunday morning, but even before learning the results Maddon said he expected Longoria, a three-time All-Star, to land on the DL. "He's just not feeling that good,'' Maddon said. Maddon said the minimum absence is likely to be three weeks, meaning Longoria would return in late April. Longoria left Saturday's game in the"
Longoria will miss time
April 3
Tampa Tribune
 
"The last thing the Rays need after scoring two runs on eight hits in the first two games is for their best hitter to go on the DL. They'll know more about All-Star 3B Evan Longoria today after he's evaluated for a sore left oblique muscle that caused him to leave Saturday night's game after the fifth inning. "It doesn't feel like something that's going to keep me off the field for a long time," Longoria said, predicting he'll miss no more than a week. "I've never had an oblique (injury), so I don't know what a real serious one is supposed to (feel like)." Manager Joe Maddon met with vice president for baseball operations Andrew Friedman for several minutes after the Rays' 3-1 loss and said"
Evan Longoria out indefinitely with oblique injury
April 3
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said his left oblique muscle first started to bother him in the batting cage early Saturday afternoon. Longoria, who had gone 0-for-4 in Friday night's opener, wanted to get some extra work in, but the more swings he took, "the more sore I got." He said he probably shouldn't have even played Saturday night but wanted to test it during the game and be there for his teammates. But now the Rays will be without Longoria indefinitely with a sore left oblique. Longoria, who pulled himself out of Saturday's 3-1 loss to Baltimore after the fifth inning, said he expects to be gone no more than a week, but manager Joe Maddon didn't rule out a stint on the 15-day"
Evan Longoria, David Price have the talent and attitude to be the faces of the franchise
April 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The lightning in David Price's left arm certainly gets your attention. As does the thunder in Evan Longoria's bat, as well as the quickness of his glove and accuracy of his throws from third base. But as the Rays move into a new era — their era — those are not the most significant attributes. More important, as they become the faces of the franchise following the offseason departure of Carl Crawford and nearly a dozen others, are less athletic assets. The dedication in their hearts. The clearness in their minds. And the smiles on their faces. "You couldn't ask for more." Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. "Or even that much." They're each just 25, but they're already established"
Maddon: Rifle purchase Longoria's 'choice'
March 29
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked before Tuesday's game with the Red Sox for his opinion on third baseman Evan Longoria owning an AK-47 rifle. The rifle was one of the items stolen Saturday when the house Longoria rented in Port Charlotte for spring training with teammates David Price and Reid Brignac was burglarized. Maddon, who is not big on rules other than showing up on time and running hard to first base, agreed with Longoria's statement that the rifle is a "personal item." "They're big boys. I heard about it. It's like a lot of different things you're not going to be aware of, I'm not going to be aware of in somebody's personal life, and I'm not going to say whether I'm for"
Evan Longoria says only that stolen AK-47 rifle was a 'personal item'
March 29
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Among the items stolen Saturday from the Port Charlotte rental home shared by three prominent Tampa Bay Rays was an AK-47 rifle belonging to star third baseman Evan Longoria. Longoria declined Monday to elaborate on why he had the gun, which is commonly referred to as an assault rifle. "It's a personal item," Longoria said. "Obviously, they (authorities) are going to say things that are taken. I think everything within the house is personal, and we'll just leave it at that." The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, which released the information, said the gun was "perfectly legal" and "absolutely, perfectly legitimate, fully documented," said public information officer Bob Carpenter. The"
Longoria: Stolen AK-47 was 'personal item'
March 29
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria said the AK-47 rifle stolen from his rental home during a burglary Saturday was a "personal item," and he declined to say why he owned it or had it at spring training. The weapon, which is legal to own, was part of nearly $56,000 in property Longoria and teammates David Price and Reid Brignac reported stolen Saturday from the house in Port Charlotte they rented for spring training. "Obviously, (police) are going to say (what) things were taken, and I think everything within the house is personal, and we'll just leave it at that," Longoria said Monday before the Rays-Yankees spring game at Steinbrenner Field was rained out. According to"
Home break-in victimizes Rays' Evan Longoria, David Price, Reid Brignac
March 28
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Evan Longoria, David Price and Reid Brignac tried to look at the positive: None were home Saturday when the Port Charlotte house the three Rays rented for spring training was broken into and robbed. "Thank God nobody was there," Brignac said Sunday. "If we were there, it would have been a different story." "That was one of the biggest things," Longoria said, "that everybody was okay and safe, and nobody had to fight their way out of a home invasion robbery. … A multitude of different things could have happened, and there could have been people injured." Still, it was a troubling event, as their electronics, jewelry and other items were stolen in the middle of the day while they were at the"
Price, Longoria are the new faces of the franchise
March 27
Tampa Tribune
 
"J.P. Howell has some uncles who live in California and watch the Rays on TV as often as possible. These guys played baseball back in their day. They pitched. They hit. They went after grounders and fly balls. They love watching Evan Longoria and David Price. They tell their nephew Longoria and Price make them feel like they can still play. "My uncles say Longo and Price make it look so easy. They watch me pitch and say it looks really hard," Howell said. "That's the difference. I make it look hard, they make it look easy." Carl Crawford and Carlos Peña used to be the cornerstones of the Rays, the heart and soul of the organization. And despite the team signing Johnny Damon and Manny"
Longo to benefit from Manny's presence
March 20
Tampa Tribune
 
"No one should be more excited about the promising spring DH Manny Ramirez is having than All-Star 3B Evan Longoria. He's the guy who will hit in front of Ramirez. Longoria hit .294 with 22 home runs, 104 RBIs and a .507 slugging percentage without consistent production behind him last year. The threat of a resurgent Ramirez clearing the bases with any swing should get Longoria more pitches to hit. Rightly so, Longoria doesn't put too much stock in spring performances. "We haven't really faced a lot of guys who are going to be in starting rotations, so you don't really get a sense of it," Longoria said. "But I feel more comfortable having him behind me, especially the way he's swinging the"