Justin Ruggiano told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he's being designated for assignment (Twitter link). The 28-year-old outfielder loses his roster spot since the Rays had to create space for new acquisitions Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.
Ruggiano, who played for the Rays in 2007 and 2008, spent last year at Triple-A Durham. He hit 15 homers for the second consecutive season and posted a .287/.357/.453 line. The 25th-rounder has a .561 OPS in 96 big league plate appearances.
