Rays lose fast-starting rookie Mangum (groin strain) to IL

PHOENIX -- The Rays lost another key outfielder to the injured list on Thursday, as they placed rookie standout Jake Mangum on the 10-day IL due to a left groin strain.

Mangum sustained the injury while hustling to beat a groundout in the fourth inning of the Rays’ 7-6 win over the D-backs on Wednesday night at Chase Field. He said he felt his groin “grab,” then awkwardly hopped down the line after getting to first base. He walked back to the dugout and was replaced by rookie Chandler Simpson.

Mangum said he felt some pain once the adrenaline wore off Wednesday night, but he was pleased with the way he felt Thursday morning. He underwent imaging that confirmed a strain but didn’t have an estimate for when he’ll be ready to return.

“Good Lord willing, I might wake up tomorrow and it might not be there. You never know. You take it each day at a time, and whenever you're pain-free, you start moving,” Mangum said Thursday afternoon. “Once you start moving, you start running. Once you start running, you start playing.

“We have a great staff here that's going to help me through this. It could be a lot worse, so we'll take it for what it is and attack each day with a good attitude and good work.”

After spending three seasons in Triple-A, Mangum received his long-awaited call to the Majors after right fielder Josh Lowe went down with a right oblique strain on Opening Day. Mangum’s performance has been a bright spot amid Tampa Bay’s slow start, as the well-liked “Mayor” has hit .338/.384/.397 with four doubles, seven RBIs and an AL-best eight steals while striking out only seven times in 21 games.

Considering how important speed is to Mangum’s game -- at the plate, on the bases and in the outfield -- the Rays will want to make sure he’s fully healed before bringing him back.

“I feel for Jake, because he was doing a lot of good things,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Plays with a unique intensity that I think makes his teammates better. We get excited when he does things, and to see him now going to have to miss some time is frustrating.”

Mangum’s injury further depletes a Rays outfield that was already riddled with injuries. He joins Lowe, Jonny DeLuca (right shoulder strain) and Richie Palacios (right knee sprain) on the IL, leaving the Rays with little depth in the outfield.

Christopher Morel has been a regular in left field. Simpson, thrust into duty earlier than expected, has worked in center for the Rays. And Kameron Misner, named to the Opening Day roster as a result of Palacios’ prior injury, has fully taken advantage of his opportunity by hitting .373/.409/.678 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 20 games while playing all three outfield spots.

Aside from those three, the Rays can use José Caballero in the corners. To take Mangum’s place on the roster, they recalled infielder Coco Montes from Triple-A Durham. Montes played left field for three innings during his first stint with the team earlier this month, and he started his last three Triple-A games in left.

Montes will field fly balls during batting practice to get more comfortable in the outfield, and his versatility in the infield will allow Cash to move Caballero to the outfield when needed.

“Happy to see Coco back here,” Cash said. “He does a lot of things that can help us. Playing all over the diamond, gave us some good at-bats.”