After trading away Freddy Sanchez in July, the Pirates were left with no strong internal replacements at second base. With Iwamura in tow, the Pirates now have their immediate answer. Delwyn Young got his chance to be the team's everyday second baseman for the final two months, but even after intensive daily defensive work with infield coach Perry Hill, Young was not seen as the optimal choice for next season. Iwamura was limited to only 69 games in '09 and needed left knee surgery to repair a partially torn ACL. Huntington said that the Pirates have not independently examined Iwamura's knee, but that all the medical reports suggest that there will be no lingering issues. His departure from Tampa Bay enables Ben Zobrist or Reid Brignac to move to second base on a full-time basis.

Few players produced more bang for your buck than Zobrist, who fought for a bench spot in Spring Training before emerging as one of fantasy's top middle infielders once Akinori Iwamura went down, leading the field of second basemen in on-base and slugging percentage . Zobrist finished the year in right field, but figures to man second base regularly next year with Iwamura eligible for free agency. Another option is to leave Zobrist in right and let Willy Aybar and Reid Brignac battle for playing time at second.

Zobrist is ending his breakout season on a torrid tear. He has notched an RBI in eight consecutive games and has hit in six straight, with multi-hit performances in five of those games, and is 12-for-26 (.462) with three homers and 12 RBIs over that stretch.

After knocking in just two runs in a six-game stretch from Sept. 17-23, Zobrist has plated seven in the last four contests. The fourth-year utilityman has blossomed in his first full season of action, batting .289 with seven triples, 84 RBIs, 16 steals and a stellar .400 on-base percentage.

Zobrist has been heating up in September as he's attained at least one base hit in 12 of his past 14 contests. After seeing his batting average dip to .278 on Sept. 12, the do-everything infielder/outfielder has moved his average up to .287, which easily represents his finest figure in four ML seasons.

Kapler received his second start in right field in three games. Ben Zobrist was covering in center field as B.J. Upton was given the night off, though this shouldn't become a trend. Kapler is a modest AL-only option when he starts, which doesn't occur very often.

Upton had trouble chasing down fly balls in center field Sept. 9, and Rays manager Joe Maddon indicated the injury could sideline him through the weekend. "Ankle was bothering him once again, so we got him out of there," Maddon said Sept. 9. "Looks like we're going to have to rest him for a bit." Ben Zobrist filled in as the center fielder in his place, with Akinori Iwamura manning second base.

Pena was plunked by a CC Sabathia fastball in the first inning of Monday's doubleheader opener, and he underwent X-rays shortly afterward that revealed the fractures. This is a tough break for owners, as Pena had been swinging a strong bat in recent weeks. The first baseman racked up 12 homers and 29 RBIs in August, and he was batting .318 to begin September. Placed on the 60-day DL, Pena finished the season with a .227 average, 39 jacks and an even 100 RBIs. From here on, the Rays will likely use a rotation at first base that includes Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar and Chris Richard, who was called up from Triple-A Durham to take Pena's spot on the active roster.

Upton turned his ankle in a collision with Carl Crawford in center field during Thursday's contest. X-rays taken on the ankle were negative and the sprain was listed as a Grade A. "I just rolled it...it's just day-to-day," Upton said on Thursday. On Friday, Ben Zobrist, who had replaced Upton in center field Thursday, returned to second base and Fernando Perez made his first start of the year in center field.

Upton was examined by a team doctor, who determined that Upton had suffered a left-ankle sprain. X-rays were negative and Upton is listed as day-to-day. Ben Zobrist moved from second base to center field and Akinori Iwamura came in to play second base and hit in Upton's ninth spot in the order.

Rays manager Joe Maddon reiterated, however, Zobrist will stay in the lineup every day no matter where he plays defensively. That likely means additional playing time for Zobrist in right field and less for Gabe Gross and Gabe Kapler.

Kazmir was traded to the Angels on Aug. 28 for left-hander Alex Torres, third baseman Matt Sweeney and, now, Rodriguez. Playing time will be tough to come by in Tampa Bay, where Ben Zobrist and Jason Bartlett have locked down starting spots up the middle. Still, given the impressive production Rodriguez delivered for Triple-A Salt Lake, hitting .299 with 29 home runs and 93 RBIs, the Rays are certain to give him a chance to shine somewhere down the line. He'll report to Triple-A Durham.

Iwamura figures to get time at second base as he returns from a torn left knee suffered on May 24. He was hitting .310 with 16 RBIs and eight steals in 44 games at the time, so Iwamura can easily become a targeted player in mixed formats if he gets enough playing time. Considering Ben Zobrist, Iwamura's fill-in at second base, isn't likely to be removed from the lineup anytime soon, Iwamura could get time at second while Zobrist is moved to right field or as a DH on days in which Pat Burrell is out of the lineup.

After going through a prolonged power drought, Zobrist has come back with a vengeance with four dingers and nine RBIs in his last six games. The surge underscores why few have provided more value at second base than Zobrist, who boasts a .293 average and career highs of 73 runs scored, 23 jacks and 69 RBIs.

The tightness occurred in the first inning, when he ran to second base in a steal attempt, then noticed that the ball had been hit to right field. Ben Zobrist moved from second base to left field and Willy Aybar entered the game at second base to take Crawford's spot in the batting order. More will be known about Crawford's condition later.