Trying to avoid DL, Hanigan rests hamstring

TORONTO -- Rays catcher Ryan Hanigan did not start on Tuesday against the Blue Jays after leaving the previous game with soreness in his right hamstring.

Hanigan was still available to pinch-hit, but the Rays will give him at least a few days off from catching duties to see if the ailment clears up with treatment. The team recalled Ali Solis on Tuesday, which provides some insurance behind the plate. Jose Molina started in the second game of the three-game set in Toronto.

The same hamstring caused the 33-year-old to miss three games on the team's last road trip, and it forced him from Monday's game in the sixth inning.

"It's kind of been a problem," said Hanigan, who's hitting .212 with three homers and 22 RBIs. "It's been a little sore. I'm trying to deal with it, but I don't know what we're going to do about it. We're trying to do treatment, but it's grabbing a little bit, cramping a little bit."

With Molina and Solis set to handle starting catcher's duties the next two games, and the team's day off on Thursday, Hanigan hopes there's enough downtime in the days ahead to avoid going on the 15-day disabled list.

Manger Joe Maddon would like to avoid that, too, although "it's not impossible," he said.

"It's not getting much better, but it's not getting much worse," said Maddon. "You could see his movement hindered a bit. My biggest thing is compensating for it, where you end up hurting something else because you're trying to protect [the injury]."

Maddon said having Hanigan out of the lineup for any extended period would be a loss for the Rays.

"He's been a big part of the team the past few years, and will be a big part for the next couple of years," he said. "There's nothing not to like about this guy."