Tampa Bay Rays news and links: Matt Duffy to have surgery

Marc Topkin rounded up all the big transactional news in his recap of what was an uninspiring loss to the Orioles.

Matt Duffy, who’s struggled with a sore Achilles, will be shut down for the season and will have surgery. The hope is to get him completely ready for next spring. That’s not totally unexpected, but the interesting point is that, despite expanded rosters, neither Tim Beckham nor Taylor Motter were recalled to fill the vacant spot at shortstop.

The facts of Beckhams case are clear: the team is sending a message with his demotion, and they intend to make that message be heard. It’s less clear why Motter is not with the major league team yet, but the fact that he isn’t is certainly curious.

The injury and the lack of moves will mean more time at shortstop for Brad Miller and/or Nick Franklin.

Links:

• David Laurila talked to both Brad Miller and Nick Franklin, the two guys on either side of the Rays shortstop season.
• From Roger Mooney’s notes on Sunday, Eddie Gamboa fulfilled one of his goals of meeting and talking with fellow knuckleballer R.A. Dickey:

"Fundamentals," Gamboa said. "It's talking to the best of the best, and it's all about the fundamentals of baseball. Staying behind the ball, having it go toward where you want to throw it. Just that reassurance. I'm hoping to get to his level so just picking his brain, getting what his triggers are."

• Evan Longoria’s hand is not broken.

"I was a little nervous going into it," Longoria said of the X-ray. "But everything is good. It's one of those things where you use your hand quite a bit, and you don't know how it's going to feel tomorrow."

• Jason Linden wrote an in depth story about the life of a minor leaguer you don’t know. It’s good.
• Two of the better Cuban baseball players to leave Cuba will play in the Dominican Winter League. Has Major League Baseball been unfair in slowly approving their eligibility to play in the states?