As part of the Tampa Bay Rays' housekeeping after Dioner Navarro's two-game suspension, the Rays optioned long man Mike Ekstrom to AAA.
Ekstrom's spot was taken by Durham catcher Jose Lobaton.
It will be a short stay for Lobaton. Once the Oakland two-game series is concluded, Navarro will be back with the team.
Joining him will be a new reliever.
While the team hasn't announced who that reliever would be, Joaquin Benoit sticks out like a sore thumb. In seven games at Durham, Benoit has a 2.08 ERA with 16 K's in only 8.1 innings pitched.
It won't be long before the Rays receive another upgrade in J.P. Howell. Howell is going to be throwing off the mound by the end of the week.
It looks like the Rays might be trading out Navarro for John Jaso in a starting catching role, and two days from now Benoit will officially replace Ekstrom in the bullpen.
That's a win-win that every Rays fan can handle.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments