Ryan Roberts went 2-for-3 with a homer and three runs scored as the Rays beat an Astros split-squad 7-2 in a rain-shortened game Tuesday.

If the Rays hadn't tendered Roberts, it's hard to imagine he would have matched his current $2.95 million salary on the open market. As is, he's set to be an unusually expensive bench player on one of the AL's lowest spending teams. Of course, he could still end up with plenty of playing time, depending on how Kelly Johnson performs and whether Evan Longoria stays healthy.

Rays avoided arbitration with INF Ryan Roberts by agreeing to a one-year, $2.95 million contract.

Roberts was in the second of four arbitration years as a Super 2 player. "TatMan" batted just .235/.296/.360 in 2012 but is expected to see plenty of at-bats in 2013 at a variety of positions.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said Monday that Ryan Roberts is the current favorite to start at second base next season.

Ben Zobrist would remain at shortstop, with Sean Rodriguez "still in the mix" for playing time. Of course, the Rays appear to be in serious talks with the Marlins about Yunel Escobar, which would move Zobrist back to second base. Roberts batted just .235/.296/.360 with 12 homers and 10 steals in 2012.

Ryan Roberts returned to action on Saturday September 15.

Ryan Roberts (leg) is not in Friday's lineup against the Yankees.

Roberts suffered a bruised lower left leg after he fouled a ball off his ankle in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Orioles. He should be ready to return in the next couple of days. Elliot Johnson will start in his place at second base.

Ryan Roberts was diagnosed with a bruised left lower leg.

Roberts suffered the injury when he fouled a ball off his left ankle in the 11th inning Thursday. X-rays came back negative, so he should be ready to return within the next few days.

Ryan Roberts left Thursday's game against the Orioles in the 11th inning after fouling a ball off his left ankle.

Roberts was in severe pain on the ground for a couple of minutes before getting to his feet and gingerly walking off the field. Chris Archer -- yes, the pitcher -- finished the at-bat and struck out. Roberts went 2-for-4 before exiting.

Ryan Roberts (forearm) went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in his return to the Rays' lineup Wednesday.

Roberts suffered a minor forearm strain on Tuesday night but will continue playing through it. He's batting .240/.304/.357 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 124 games between the Diamondbacks and Rays this season.

Ryan Roberts returned to action on Wednesday September 12.

X-rays on Ryan Roberts' left forearm have come back negative.

He should be considered day-to-day. Roberts homered in Tuesday's game before leaving with a forearm strain.

Ryan Roberts went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in Sunday's win over the Angels.

He took Zack Greinke deep in the fifth, helping the Rays to a four-game sweep of the Halos. Roberts is hitting just .230/.333/.365 since arriving in Tampa Bay, but has managed to drive in 11 runs in 21 games. He's a decent option in AL-only leagues.

Ryan Roberts went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's 7-3, 10-inning win over the Twins.

Roberts singled home two of the Rays' four 10th-inning tallies. The multi-hit afternoon was just Roberts' third in 15 games as a Ray. He's hitting .216/.344/.333 since changing leagues.

Ryan Roberts hit a two-run homer, drew a walk, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs in his Rays debut Wednesday, a 10-1 win over the Orioles.

That'll do nicely. Roberts was hitting a disappointing .250/.306/.357 for the Diamondbacks before his trade, but a slash like that will still play in deeper AL-only leagues. He's worth an add if you're hurting for an infielder.

Ryan Roberts told reporters after being designated for assignment Tuesday that he's about to be traded.

Roberts classified a deal as being on the "one-yard line." He has failed to build on the decent power numbers that he posted last season but could do well with a change of scenery. The Diamondbacks officially removed Roberts from their 40-man roster on Tuesday evening.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Rays have interest in a trade for Diamondbacks' infielder Ryan Roberts.

Roberts would provide another option at third base while Evan Longoria nurses a hamstring injury. He's also capable of playing second base. The 31-year-old entered play Monday batting .252/.307/.360 with six home runs, 33 RBI, six stolen bases and a .667 OPS over 276 plate appearances this year. He's under team control through 2015.

Ryan Roberts hit a three-run homer off Brian Fuentes in the bottom of the ninth to give the Diamondbacks a 9-8 win over the A's on Friday.

The Diamondbacks slid Roberts into a utility role last month, but with Josh Bell struggling, it doesn't seem likely to stick. Odds are that Bell will be sent down when Stephen Drew returns, leaving Roberts competing with Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald for starts at third. If Roberts can get hit -- and he had three hits tonight -- he'll be a regular again in short order.

Ryan Roberts blasted his second home run of the season, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Mets on Saturday.

Roberts finished the day 2-for-3 with the solo blast off of Johan Santana in the second inning. He's off to a very rough start at the plate this year, hitting just .184 with two homers and 11 RBI on the season. Lately, he's been losing starts to Cody Ransom at third base. Neither player represents a good fantasy option for the time being while they are sharing starts at the position.

Ryan Roberts was Arizona's only non-pitcher not to get a hit in Monday's 9-5 victory over Miami.

He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, and is now posting a miserable .152/.240/.242 batting line. The 31-year-old journeyman surprised a lot of people last season with a combination of power and speed that few infielders could match. But in the midst of a 1-for-28 slump, Roberts now must prove that he deserves to remain an everyday starter, especially with Cody Ransom (1.150 OPS) hitting exceptionally well.

Ryan Roberts went hitless in three at-bats, but managed to rack up two steals in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Padres.

Both two-out swipes came off of walks in the second and fourth innings, and he was left stranded at second base each time. It marked his first game of the year without a hit, and also his fourth straight game with one strikeout.

Ryan Roberts hit a three-run homer in Friday's win over the Mariners.

The bomb was already Roberts' third of the spring, though he's hitting just .200 through his first 15 at-bats. Roberts hit .239/.341/.413 after the All-Star break last season after taking a .257/.340/.439 triple slash into the Midsummer Classic.