The Boston Red Sox have placed ace Josh Beckett on the disabled list with a strained lower back.
Beckett was forced out of the team’s recent contest against the New York Yankees because of a sore back.
The back injury has been bothering Beckett for several weeks now and was one reason the team pushed back one of his recent starts.
With the Red Sox already behind three teams in the American League East, this injury couldn’t come at a worse time.
Tim Wakefield is expected to replace Beckett in the starting rotation and reliever Joe Nelson will be called up to take the knuckleballer’s spot in the bullpen.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 7:13 am by steve
Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell said it would be best if the club released him.
Lowell claims it would be better for both sides if he was cut and that he feels like he is a waste of a roster spot.
The third baseman could then try and catch on with another team and the Red Sox could bring in someone they might get some use out of.
He stresses that he isn’t mad at anyone in particular but is upset he worked so hard in the offseason and now isn’t seeing the field.
The team does not want to release Lowell because they would be on the hook for his entire $12 million contract.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 2:15 pm by steve
The Boston Red Sox have made their first significant change, inserting knuckleballer Tim Wakefield into the starting rotation.
Meanwhile, the team will skip Josh Beckett’s next start after the pitcher complained of back spasms.
Beckett has gotten off to a terrible start and manager Terry Francona plans to give him extra rest.
The Red Sox are hopeful that the extra rest will give Beckett a break and also allow him to fix some mechanical flaws.
Boston doesn’t have much time to mess around with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays quickly pulling away from the pack.
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 3:43 pm by steve
The Boston Red Sox continue to struggle and are in danger of falling out of contention in the American League East.
Some players believe that the merging of established veterans and young stars is causing chemistry issues in the locker room.
While that may be true, the poor hitting and pitching on the field has to be the biggest concern right now.
The struggles of David Ortiz have certainly put a major damper on the team’s offensive firepower, but he isn’t alone.
Josh Beckett continues to struggle against the top teams in the AL East, while John Lackey looks overmatched.
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 5:33 pm by steve
The Boston Red Sox may have reached rock bottom after being swept by the lowly Baltimore Orioles.
Boston lost two of the games in extra innings and did receive two quality pitching performances.
However, a disastrous start from Dice-K blew a two home run effort from veteran David Ortiz Saturday.
The Red Sox struggled to score runs in key moments, and their bullpen took the loss in two games.
The sweep will certainly leave the Red Sox with a lot to think about heading into their next series.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 8:24 pm by steve
