Tue Jun 3 17:13:29 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Red Sox limping into important homestand

---

(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox won't be operating at full strength for their impending showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The defending world champions returned from a roller-coaster 10-game road trip on Tuesday with two of their most important players on the disabled list. After standout starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was recently shelved due to a slight strain in his throwing shoulder, the Red Sox learned on Monday that they won't have David Ortiz's powerful bat in the lineup for quite some time.

An MRI taken on Ortiz's sore left wrist on Monday revealed a partially torn tendon sheath, an injury that is expected to sideline the designated hitter from anywhere between two weeks to one month. Ortiz hurt himself when fouling off a pitch in his final plate appearance during Saturday's 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, and left the contest before the at-bat could be completed.

The good news regarding Ortiz's injury is that the tendon itself is not damaged and the feared slugger is unlikely to have to undergo surgery. Still, having one of the game's premier run producers out until possibly the All-Star break is certainly concerning for Boston, which is currently locked in a heated battle with the upstart Rays for first place in the American League East.

Matsuzaka's trip to the DL is considered more of a precautionary measure, as an MRI performed on Friday did now show any structural damage to the Japanese sensation's rotator cuff. The club is optimistic he will only have to miss a couple of starts.

The second-year major leaguer left a May 27 outing at Seattle after just four innings when he complained about fatigue and discomfort in his shoulder.

Matsuzaka, who compiled a sparkling 8-0 record and a 2.53 earned run average through his first 11 starts, was initially slated to start Tuesday's series opener with Tampa Bay, which heads to Fenway Park with a 1 1/2-game edge on the second-place Red Sox in the East standings. His place will be taken by Justin Masterson, the well-regarded rookie who has impressed in two spot starts for Boston earlier this season.

Masterson made his major league debut on April 24 and held the AL West-leading Angels to just one run and two hits over six innings, although he wound up with a no decision. The 23-year-old was sent right back to the minors following that eye-opening audition, but was brought up to start a May 20 encounter with Kansas City and yielded one run over 6 1/3 outstanding innings to earn his first win in the bigs.

The Red Sox may turn to the farm system in their attempt to fill Ortiz's sizeable void from the lineup as well. Boston called up prospect Chris Carter from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, with the young left-handed hitter expected to receive some time at the DH spot.

Carter, the player the Red Sox acquired in the trade that sent outfielder Wily Mo Pena to Washington last August, is hitting .310 with 10 homers and 35 RBI in 57 games with the PawSox. The 25-year-old spent most of last season with Triple-A Tucson in the Arizona organization and finished fifth in the Pacific Coast League with 97 RBI.

MANNY BEING MANNY

After becoming a member of the still-exclusive 500 home run club in Saturday's win over the Orioles, left fielder Manny Ramirez didn't rest on the laurels of that notable accomplishment. The perennial All-Star belted another homer as part of a 3-for-5, three-RBI effort in Sunday's 9-4 downing of Baltimore, then delivered career homer No. 502 in Monday's series finale with the O's.

Ramirez has now hit safely in eight straight games and is batting .382 (13- for-34) with four homers, 11 RBI and seven runs scored during the tear.

The eccentric outfielder became the 24th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs when he launched the first pitch he saw from Orioles reliever Chad Bradford into the right-center field bleachers during the eighth inning of Saturday's tilt.

Ramirez had gone 11 games and over 40 at-bats without a long ball before connecting for his 499th career homer during a May 27 loss at Seattle.

"I've been trying so hard the past three weeks just to get it done," Ramirez said after Saturday's game. "It finally came and I'm happy. I'm proud of myself and all the things that I accomplished. I've worked hard for this."

MASTER THIEF

Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury set a modern-day Red Sox record for stolen bases in consecutive games during the Baltimore series, with the rookie swiping three bags in both Friday and Saturday's wins.

Ellsbury's fleet feet made a quite an impact in Saturday's contest. With the tied at 3-3, the talented youngster led off the top of the seventh inning with a triple and wound up scoring the eventual game-winning run on Ortiz's sacrifice fly. Ellsbury raced home and just beat Baltimore left fielder Jay Payton's throw to the plate on the sharp line drive.

The 24-year-old leadoff hitter now has a major league-best 27 steals in 30 attempts this season, while Ellsbury's team-high 41 runs scored rank fourth in the AL.

"He's been a difference maker," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "I like to sit here and tell you that we're managing him, telling him what to do. He's just a good player and his instincts on the bases are tremendous. He's making good decisions and he's changing the game when he gets on base."

WHO'S HOT

Starting pitcher Bartolo Colon has provided a nice lift since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket a few weeks back. The veteran right-hander has won all three of his starts and posted a solid 3.50 ERA since the promotion, while yielding just one home run over 18 total innings.

WHO'S NOT

Outfielder Coco Crisp snapped out of an 0-for-23 skid with a fourth-inning single in Monday's 6-3 loss to Baltimore and batted just .209 (14-for-67) during the month of May.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia still leads the American League All-Star voting at his position, but the reigning AL Rookie of the Year batted just .158 (6- for-38) during Boston's just-completed 10-game road trip.

ON DECK

Boston puts its 10-game home win streak on the line in Tuesday's tussle with the Rays, which starts up a stretch of nine consecutive games at Fenway Park for the Red Sox. Boston will also entertain Seattle and Baltimore on the homestand.

Masterson (1-0, 1.46) and Matt Garza (4-1, 3.78) will go head-to-head in Tuesday's opener, with Josh Beckett (5-4, 4.30) getting the assignment for the Sox opposite Edwin Jackson (3-4, 3.70) on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Jon Lester (3-3, 3.67) makes his first start at Fenway since the Red Sox lefty no-hit Kansas City on May 19. James Shields (4-3, 3.24) is scheduled to pitch the finale for Tampa.