Hideki Matsui will play in an extended spring training game for the Rays Wednesday.

It's his first game action for the club since signing on last week. Matsui will play in a few extended spring games before then being added to Triple-A Durham's roster. Matsui will have to play well to earn a call-up, as the Rays haven't promised him anything.

Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday that there's "nothing formal" as far as an out-clause in Hideki Matsui's minor league contract.

Matsui, 37, officially signed with the Rays on Monday and was introduced during a press conference Tuesday. The current plan calls for him to play a few extended spring training games before joining Triple-A Durham. He's not guaranteed to join the major league roster and Friedman said that he'll be treated with respect if an opportunity doesn't materialize, so an out-clause isn't really necessary.

Rays signed DH Hideki Matsui to a minor league contract.

The agreement was reached last Monday, but it took several days to go final. Matsui, 37, struggled mightily to draw interest this winter after posting a weak .251/.321/.375 batting line last year for the A's. But Tampa Bay provides a much healthier hitting environment, and he could do well as a part-time DH behind Luke Scott.

Jack Curry of YES Network reports that Hideki Matsui is expected to soon sign a minor league contract with the Rays.

Matsui failed to draw much interest this winter after batting .251/.321/.375 with 12 homers, 72 RBI and a .696 OPS with the A's last year, but he has been working out in New York in hopes of continuing his career. Assuming he lands on the big league roster, the 37-year-old could function as a left-handed bat off the bench or split DH duties with Luke Scott.

According to Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record, the Yankees are not initiating calls with representatives for free agent DH-types.

They don't really need to. With plenty of veteran hitters left in the free agent market, the Yankees have the ability to field calls from desperate agents and wait for the best possible deal. Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Vladimir Guerrero and Raul Ibanez have all been mentioned as possible fits.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, there has been "some contact" between the Yankees and free agent Hideki Matsui.

The Yankees reportedly only have $1-2 million in their budget for a DH, so Matsui might be a cheaper option than either Carlos Pena or Johnny Damon. The 37-year-old batted .251/.321/.375 with 12 homers and 72 RBI with the A's last season and previously played with New York from 2003-2009. The Yankees will likely shuffle many of their veteran players out of the DH spot throughout the season, but Matsui could be paired with the the righty-hitting Andruw Jones.

Hideki Matsui is ''one of three players'' the Dodgers are targeting this offseason, according to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com,

Athletics general manager Billy Beane has intimated that Hideki Matsui returning in 2012 is unlikely.

A big second half propelled Matsui to a .251/.321/.375 batting line with 12 homers and 72 RBI over 517 at-bats, but he can't play the outfield anymore and the A's have other options in Chris Carter and Brandon Allen for the DH spot. The 37-year-old should be able to latch on with someone, though.

Hideki Matsui went 2-for-4 with his 72nd RBI in Monday's loss to the Mariners.

Matsui got off to a dreadful start this season, batting just .209 before the All-Star break. He's been productive ever since, however, hitting .296 to go along with 21 extra-base hits and 38 RBI in 63 games. Despite his defensive limitations, he's likely bought himself another year in the big leagues.

Hideki Matsui went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Oakland's loss to the Rangers on Friday.

Godzilla's 12th home run of the season was his first in 28 games. He's still hitting a robust .338 since the All-Star break, however, and should remain in your lineup in deeper mixed leagues down the stretch.

Hideki Matsui went 2-for-4 and delivered a three-run double Friday versus the Mariners.

After a terrific July and a solid first half of August, Matsui cooled during the latter portion of last month. He hasn't homered since Aug. 7 or had a three-hit game since Aug. 11. Fortunately for him, he has a big-time backer in Bob Melvin and he doesn't figure to lose much playing time this month.

A's manager Bob Melvin said if he manages in 2012, he'd like Hideki Matsui back.

Matsui might not even reach the end of the season in Oakland, however. ESPN's Buster Olney reported earlier in the day that Matsui had cleared waivers and can be traded to any team. Matsui has a $4.25 million price tag for this season but is hitting a blistering .410/.470/.630 with five homers in 100 at-bats since the All-Star break.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Hideki Matsui has cleared waivers and can be traded to any team.

Matsui has a $4.25 million price tag for this season but is hitting a blistering .410/.470/.630 with five homers in 100 at-bats since the All-Star break. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle shoots down a rumor from a Japanese newspaper that the Giants might be interested, but it's certainly possible that some contending team could be intrigued by Godzilla's hot bat.

Hideki Matsui's .432 average since the All-Star break leads the majors.

To go along with his sizzling average, Matsui is reaching base at a clip of .481 while slugging .663 since the Midsummer Classic. He's notched 12 extra-base hits and 24 RBI in 24 games. He might not finish the season in Oakland, but it's looking like he should definitely finish it on your fantasy team.

Hideki Matsui was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Athletics' 8-4 loss to the Mariners on Monday.

Matsui is now riding a 10-game hitting streak. In his last 14 contests, the veteran is batting 27-for-54 (.500) lifting his batting average from .210 to .258. As he has throughout his career, Matsui is proving once again that he is a better second half player.

Hideki Matsui went 3-for-5 a double, a home run and five RBI in Wednesday's 13-4 blowout win against the Rays.

It was only his ninth homer of the season. Matsui has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. After a rough start to the season, Matsui is heating up. He's posted a .900-plus OPS in July with 21 RBI. He's no longer a trusted fantasy player, but you mine as well ride him while he's hot.

Hideki Matsui went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Oakland's win over the Tigers on Wednesday.

Between his days in Japan and 1,142 major-league contests, Matsui has now hit 500 career home runs. With just seven through his first 81 contests this season, however, he's a poor bet to post his sixth 20-homer campaign since arriving stateside in 2003.

Hideki Matsui knocked in two runs and stole his first base since 2007 in the win over the Diamondbacks on Friday.

It was an actual legitimate steal, too. We can't imagine what kind of odds someone would have gotten a year ago on Matsui stealing a base, Wily Mo Pena homering and Rich Harden pitching six innings without a walk all in the same game. 50,000,000,000:1?

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that he is considering using Hideki Matsui in left field when the team returns home next week.

Matsui has looked surprisingly spry during this week's series against the Mets, so he could be a passable fill-in until Josh Willingham is ready to return from the disabled list. This would presumably open up the DH spot for Chris Carter, who is not considered a quality defender.

Hideki Matsui will his first start of the season in left field Tuesday against the Mets.

The original plan called for him to play some right field during interleague action, but he'll slide over to left with Josh Willingham sidelined. Look for him to also play there Wednesday before getting a day off. While Matsui is batting just .222 this season, he is 9-for-30 (.300) with three homers and nine RBI over his last 10 games.