B.J. Upton benched for not hustling

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon benched center fielder B.J. Upton Wednesday for not running out a grounder against Cleveland in the team's previous game.

The Rays' Web site said Maddon was irked because he had a "lack of hustle" talk with his players in Kansas City last weekend following a similar incident involving infielder Akinori Iwamura.

"When it comes down to individual effort, it takes absolutely zero talent, zero, to try hard and play hard every day," Maddon said. "I'm OK with physical mistakes, with mental mistakes, I'm accepting of all that. The part that I'm not accepting of is the part that you can control. And that's your effort. You just can't pick and choose when you put your effort out there. It has to be all the time."

Maddon spoke with Upton after Tuesday's game and said that Upton "listened" accordingly.

He was replaced in the lineup by infielder Ben Zobrist.