MLB roundup: Rays' Longoria out 4-8 weeks

A few hours after denying a report that third baseman Evan Longoria will be sidelined 6-8 weeks with a hamstring injury, the Tampa Bay Rays acknowledged Thursday afternoon that Longoria will be out 4-8 weeks with a partially torn hamstring.

Longoria left Monday's 3-2 win over the Mariners with soreness behind his left knee with a "hamstring-knee issue." The St. Petersburg Times reported he would be out 6-8 weeks.

The Rays initially said that report was premature, but after checking on Longoria again Tuesday, executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Longoria could be out for as long as two months,

"He's always been a pretty good healer. He's had some hamstring issues in the past and has come back from them pretty quickly, relatively speaking," Friedman told MLB.com. "We're not going to put a firm timeline on it, but to get back here, I would say a best-case scenario for him to get back before six weeks or around six weeks."

Longoria is batting .329 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and 15 walks. He was injured trying to steal second base in the third inning Monday, when his left foot caught on Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan's cleat.

Friedman said Elliot Johnson and Jeff Keppinger are expected to get increased playing time with Longoria out.

---New York Yankees Andy Pettitte took the stand Tuesday in the Roger Clemens perjury trial.

Under questioning from a prosecutor, Pettitte said Clemens became a mentor when the two were Yankees teammates.

The lefty, who returned from a year of retirement and is working his way back to the major leagues, is expected to testify that Clemens told him he had used human growth hormone. Clemens has told Congress that Pettitte "misremembers" the conversation.

---The Los Angeles Dodgers sale for $2 billion to a group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson has been finalized, the team announced Tuesday.

Guggenheim Baseball Management completed its purchase as part of a bankruptcy reorganization plan under former owner Frank McCourt. The sale was approved by a federal bankruptcy court judge in Delaware last month. The team entered bankruptcy in June 2011.

---St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig has been activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Craig, 27, was one of the stars from the team's World Series run last fall. He hit three home runs in the Series and four overall in the postseason. He batted .315 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 75 regular-season games last year.

He had surgery on his right knee in the offseason, and had been rehabbing with Triple-A Memphis.

Outfielder Erik Komatsu was designated for assignment to make room for Craig.

---Washington Nationals Brad Lidge underwent hernia surgery Tuesday morning, his agent, Rex Gary, told The Washington Post.

Gary said the procedure went "very well," and the 35-year-old righty is expected to resume throwing in about three weeks.

With Lidge out, hard-throwing Henry Rodriguez will likely serve as the team's primary closer.

Lidge signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Nationals in late January. Reliever Ryan Perry was summoned from Triple-A to replace Lidge.

---The Milwaukee Brewers' Chris Narveson had surgery Tuesday to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.

The 30-year-old lefty will require nine months to recover. He will miss the rest of the season and possibly the part spring training in 2013.

---Seattle Mariners outfielder Mike Carp will be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, the player said via Twitter.

He will likely replace Miguel Olivo, who left Monday's game with an apparent groin injury.

Carp, 25, struggled during his rehabilitation stint at Triple-A Tacoma, batting .137 (7-for-51) with no homers.

---The Minnesota Twins announced they will recall catcher Drew Butera from the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. Butera batted .279 with one home run for Rochester.

---The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled right-handed pitcher Jared Hughes from Triple-A Indianapolis. Pitcher Evan Meek was optioned to Triple-A.

---Seattle Mariners first baseman Mike Carp (shoulder) was activated off the 15-day disabled list, according to the Seattle Times. Carp will take the roster spot of catcher Miguel Olivo, who is headed for the diabled list with a groin injury.

---The Cleveland Indians announced the club has purchased the contract of outfielder Johnny Damon. To make room on the roster, the Indians designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment.

Damon, 38, was signed as a free agent by Cleveland on April 17.

--- Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Kyle Weiland had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday because of an infection in his right shoulder, the team announced.

Weiland had been placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday because of soreness in his shoulder. He has made three starts this season and is 0-3 with a 6.62 earned run average.

--- Tampa Bay Rays minor-league shortstop Tim Beckham has been suspended for 50 games for a second violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for a drug of abuse, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday.

Beckham, 22, is currently on the roster of the Triple-A Durham Bulls of the International League. He is hitting .204 with no homers for Durham this season.

---The Philadelphia Phillies have put pitcher David Herndon on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right elbow. Herndon is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA in five games.

Right-hander Brian Sanches was called up from Triple A Lehigh Valley to replace Herndon.