ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays selected Johnny Field from Triple-A Durham on Friday. The corresponding move saw right-hander Ryan Weber get designated for assignment.

When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.

"We need [Field] now," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He's going to be a bat off the bench for the first couple of days. Then we've got some lefty starters penciled in against the Rangers. Get him a couple of starts then."

Field looked like he would make the Rays' 25-man roster out of Spring Training, but just before the final roster was set, they acquired Rob Refsnyder and re-assigned Field to Durham.

Cash agonized over the move at the time, so he seemed pleased that Field had joined the team.

"Very excited for Johnny," Cash said. "We all know he went right down to the wire. Last hour before we had to set rosters. He's deserving of it."

Field was hitting .364/.391/.591 with a home run and two RBIs in his last five games at Durham.

Not only is having Field come to the show a feel-good moment for Field, it's also a feel-good moment for the Rays organization. They drafted him out of the University of Arizona in the fifth round of the June Draft and have developed him through their system.

"You want to get drafted by the team and make it with that team," Field said. "To now have that come true, it's pretty special."

Added Cash: "I'm sure there was a lot of shaking hands in player development. A lot of staff members, a lot of teammates, because he's kind of been through the grind. ... Johnny's had a pretty consistent track record in Durham. It's his time to come up here and have an opportunity to play, and make the most of it."

Cash allowed that the Rays like Weber.

"I don't know how his status will turn out," Cash said. "He's got to go through the process of being designated, which is unfortunate. But he's a guy, if he clears, we'll definitely welcome him back. We think he's a guy who can come in and provide some length. And spot fill for us throughout parts of the season."

Worth noting:

• Yonny Chirinos is knocking on the door to become a member of the Rays' rotation, which he essentially has done in his last two starts (on "bullpen days") due to his success. In three appearances (two starts), the right-hander has allowed no runs on eight hits in 14 1/3 innings. Despite that success, the Rays will move forward with their "bullpen days" for now and not officially anoint Chirinos a member of the rotation. "We've talked a lot about Chirinos, but we haven't decided upon really anything," Cash said. "We're really excited about the way he's throwing the ball. We'll see when we need him next."

• Nathan Eovaldi (surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow) is doing well according to Cash. "Eovaldi played catch today, which is pretty remarkable," Cash said. "I think [medical coordinator Paul Harker] had him doing sock throws, and he threw the sock through the concrete. So it was kind of like let's get him out on the field, maybe we can manage it a little better."

• Brad Miller (10-day DL with left-groin strain) also seems to be progressing well. "Brad, just ramped up his rehab a little," Cash said.