The Rays placed Alexander on the bereavement list Tuesday.
Alexander has struggled in each of his first two appearances of the season, registering an 8.68 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 8:4 K:BB over 9.1 innings. He's scheduled to start Friday against the Giants, but he will step away from the team for a few days to be with his family. In a corresponding move, the Rays recalled Kevin Kelly from Triple-A Durham.