Grieve undergoes thumb surgery

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder- designated hitter Ben Grieve had surgery on his left thumb Thursday, one day after the club placed him on the 15-day disabled list with an infection in the finger.

The procedure, done at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, was undertaken to determine the cause of the ailment. The infection was cleaned and Grieve is now expected to miss at least a month.

Grieve, who spent last Friday night in a Baltimore hospital to receive treatment for the thumb, hasn't played since last Thursday. He is batting just .244 with no homers and two RBI in 15 games for the Rays this season.

Grieve had problems with the same thumb last season and missed a few games in April before it healed. The soreness returned earlier last week and turned into an infection on Friday. Grieve took oral antibiotics before Friday's game with the Orioles, but was sent to Bayview Hospital after the contest and was treated more aggressively overnight.

Tampa Bay recalled infielder Felix Escalona from Double-A Orlando on Thursday to replace Grieve.

04/24 18:56:27 ET