Beliveau rejoins Rays as Ramos goes on leave

DETROIT -- Rays reliever Jeff Beliveau's time away from the club was so short, approximately 24 hours, that he didn't even check out of the team's hotel.

Beliveau was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Thursday. But when fellow lefty Cesar Ramos was placed on paternity leave Friday, a roster spot for Beliveau opened right back up. MLB's rule that players sent to the Minors must remain there for 10 days does not apply in cases of paternity leave.

"You just have to be ready to pitch," Beliveau said of his tenuous claim to a 25-man roster spot. "Keep your phone on.

"I'm not really surprised by anything that comes my way."

Rays manager Joe Maddon made Ramos earn his paternity leave Thursday night during an 8-1 loss to the Tigers.

Afterward, Ramos retreated to the clubhouse and checked his phone, waiting for word from his wife, Melanie, who is "ready to pop at any time."

"I guess it's just comfortable or cozy in there," Ramos laughed, using the impersonal pronoun because he has chosen to wait to find out the baby's gender. "She's supposed to go in Saturday morning to get the process started."