by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/20/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar connected for his fourth home run Monday at Toronto -- a two-run shot off Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen in the ninth inning. It was his second home run in 11 games.
Escobar is batting .313 (15 for 48) with two home runs, five doubles, 10 RBI and 10 runs in his last 13 games. Escobar is batting .303 in his last 22 games, lifting his average from .119 to .222.
Yunel Escobar comes on as defensive replacement
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (5/6/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar, who did not start Monday against Toronto due to a left-hand injury, did get into the game defensively in the sixth inning.
Escobar went 0 for 1 and made an error when he booted a potential double-play ball up the middle.
Escobar was expected to miss a few days, but the fact he entered defensively is a good sign.
Yunel Escobar out as expected Monday
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (5/6/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar was out of the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays, as expected. Escobar was expected to miss 2-3 days after getting hit by a pitch on his left hand Saturday.
While X-rays came back negative, manager Joe Maddon felt Escobar would need a few days off. He's considered day to day going forward.
Yunel Escobar to sit 2-3 days
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (5/5/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar, who left Saturday's game against the White Sox after getting hit by a pitch on the left hand from Jon Garland, underwent X-rays, which came back negative, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The Rays said Escobar will miss 2-3 days, but not much more. Escobar feels fortunate that the injury he suffered wasn't more serious.
"He thought he broke his hand at the time," bench coach Dave Martinez said in translating Escobar's comments. "He's very grateful and happy that it wasn't broken."
X-rays negative for Yunel Escobar
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/4/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar's X-rays on his left wrist came back negative, the Tampa Bay Times reports. He is being considered day to day with a left hand contusion.
Yunel Escobar goes for X-rays on wrist
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/4/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar left Saturday's contest against the Rockies in the second inning after getting hit on the left wrist by a pitch. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays.
Escobar is batting .174 with two homers and seven RBI.
Yunel Escobar has hit in return
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/30/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar said before Tuesday's game in Kansas City that he's feeling 200 percent healthy following his nagging hamstring injury.
Escobar went 1 for 4 in the loss to the Royals. His hit was a single and he's batting .169.
Extra rest helps Yunel Escobar
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (4/30/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar returned to the starting lineup for Tuesday's game at Kansas City after being sidelined with a nagging hamstring injury. Escobar missed four straight games with the issue, but was able to jump into the No. 6 spot in the batting order following an off day Monday.
Yunel Escobar sitting until Tuesday
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/28/2013) The Rays are holding shortstop Yunel Escobar (hamstring) out of the lineup until following Monday's off day, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Escobar continues to deal with a tight right hamstring, though it does feel better for the infielder.
"There's a shot that it may turn out that way," manager Joe Maddon said. "It's kind of going away little by little. I don't want to press it right now and then have any kind of setback."
Yunel Escobar not back yet
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/27/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar (hamstring) did not start Saturday against the White Sox.
Escobar worked out prior to the game and took batting practice in an attempt to get back into the lineup. He's considered day to day.
Yunel Escobar lobbying to get in lineup
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/27/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar (hamstring) worked out prior to Saturday's game in Chicago, the Tampa Tribune reports.
Escobar did some on-field drills and is hoping to prove he can play against the White Sox.
Yunel Escobar may be available Saturday
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/26/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar (hamstring) worked out Friday without reporting any setbacks. Escobar was held out of the lineup Friday but could return as early as Saturday, according to manager Joe Maddon.
"He said he felt pretty good," Maddon said. "He wanted to do a normal pregame today, which we're gonna allow him and then we'll make an evaluation. Beyond that, I'm not sure whether he'll be available [Saturday] or not."
Escobar has a .164 /.228/.288 slash line with two home runs and seven RBI in 73 at-bats.
Yunel Escobar may return Saturday
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/25/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar, who left Wednesday with a tight hamstring, told the Tampa Tribune that his hamstring feels better and that he is not expected to miss much playing time. Manager Joe Maddon said Escobar won't play Friday, but the team should now by then when he'll return.
Escobar is batting .286 (8 for 28) with a double, two home runs and five RBI in his last eight games. He is hitting .164 /.228/.288 with two home runs and seven RBI in 73 at-bats.
Yunel Escobar sits day after suffering injury
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/25/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar was unable to start Thursday at the Chicago White Sox after leaving Wednesday's game due to right hamstring tightness. Ben Zobrist replaced Escobar at shortstop.
Escobar, who started the first 21 games, is batting .286 (8 for 28) with a double, two home runs and five RBI in his last eight games. He's raised his batting average from .089 to .164 in that span.
Yunel Escobar exits with tight hamstring
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar had to leave Wednesday's game against the Yankees late in the contest due to right hamstring tightness, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Escobar, considered day to day, went 1 for 3 before leaving and is batting .164. The Rays will likely give him a day off and then see how he feels after that.
Yunel Escobar playing with 'enthusiasm'
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/22/2013) After batting .089 (4 for 45) through the first 13 games, Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar has hit safely in four of his last five games (6 for 18), raising his batting average to .159.
"Since last year you see some hitters go through some struggles sometimes," Escobar said through Joel Peralta, who served as his translator, per The Tampa Tribune. "I’m trying to get better because I want to help this team win games."
Escobar is the only Tampa Bay player to play every inning this season. He had a season-high three hits Sunday against the A's, falling a triple shy of the cycle.
"He continues to grind it out," manager Joe Maddon said. "You got to appreciate his approach to the day. Things had not been going well for him offensively, but he’s still been playing a complete game and he plays with enthusiasm."
Yunel Escobar's bat wakes up
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar finally awoke from an offensive slumber Sunday against the Athletics in a victory.
Escobar blasted his first home run of the season deep to left in the second inning off starter Tommy Milone. He added an RBI single in the eighth inning and finished 3 for 4 with two RBI.
The three hits lifted his average to .159 on the season as he only had seven base hits entering Sunday's game spanning his first 17 contests.
Yunel Escobar hitless once again
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/10/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar hasn't been that effective with the bat so far in his Tampa Bay career. He had another hitless afternoon Wednesday at Texas.
Escobar went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and is batting .100 thus far after 30 at-bats. He's gone 3 for 30 with two doubles, four walks, two RBI and eight strikeouts. Escobar is slugging just .167 for Tampa thus far.
His last base hit came April 6 against Cleveland. He was 1 for 5 that day.
Yunel Escobar gets first hit as Ray
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/3/2013) Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar picked up his first hit of the season Wednesday in a walk-off win over Baltimore. Escobar doubled off starter Wei-Yin Chen.
The 30-year-old veteran, who spent last season with Toronto, went 1 for 4 in the game and is now batting .125 after going 0 for 4 in the opener. Escobar also struck out Wednesday.
He hit .293 in spring training for the Rays over 58 at-bats with 10 RBI. The shortstop played in 145 games for the Blue Jays last year and hit .253 with nine homers and 51 RBI.
First impression helps Escobar
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/3/2013) Tampa Bay shortstop Yunel Escobar finished 1 for 3 with a run scored during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Minnesota to continue his strong start with his new team. Escobar has drawn positive marks from manager Joe Maddon after recording a hit in four of his six games this spring for a .333 batting average. "Good at-bats, he's showing his arm, showing all of his tools right now," Maddon told MLB.com. "That's what I'm seeing. This guy is a complete baseball player. ... He has all the necessary ingredients -- all five of them. And I think you're going to see them."
Escobar ready for fresh start
(2/17/2013)Yunel Escobar was under a lot of scrutiny both on and off the field last season. Not only did he under perform with the bat, Escobar also took heat in the media after he wrote a homophobic slur into his eye black last September. After being traded twice during the offseason, he told ESPN.com on Sunday that he is “different” Yunel Escobar and plans on atoning himself in Tampa Bay. Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes Escobar can turn the page. From “the digging that we did,” Friedman said, “we believe that it was an isolated incident and that nothing of that nature will be a concern going forward, or we wouldn't have acquired him.”
