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July 3, 2007
BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON -- Tuesday night Sox Droopings:
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Coco Crisp is back in the lineup is center field, replacing impressive rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. Crisp missed four games because of a sprained thumb he injured last Wednesday in Seattle. Returns to the lineup with a 4-game hitting streak. Has hit safely in 12 of last 13 games to push average from .221 to .262
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Ellsbury will remain with the Red Sox, most likely through the end of the first half of the season this Sunday. He'll be used as insurance fro Crisp and a potential pinch runner. Asked if he could play right or left field, manager Terry Francona said he's yet to ask the rookie how comfortable he'd be in either spot.
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Kevin Youkilis is also back in the lineup after missing last night with a sore quadriceps muscle in his leg. Francona feels Youkilis will be fine the rest of the week and benefit from the time off over the All-Star break.
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Francona said he knows what he'll do with the team's starting pitching rotation after the All-Star break but he's not ready to disclose anything publicly just yet. ''We have our rotation now,'' he said. ''Rest, one way or the other, is good for everybody. We're just trying to get it as even as we can where guys get enough and not too much.''
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Josh Beckett is a potential starter in the All-Star Game and will almost certainly pitch in the game. He's scheduled to start on Thursday and would be on his normal four-days rest for next Tuesday. Francona said he'll try to make sure Beckett doesn't overextend himself in San Francisco. ''I'll give him a huge lecture about trying not to throw 105 (mph),'' he said. ''It'll be the farthest from a side day that there could be. There's going to be a lot of emotion (for him).''
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Jonathan Papelbon is the other Red Sox pitcher on the All-Star team. Reliever Hideki Okajima is one of five candidates for the final All-Star spot.
Posted by Kevin 
at 4:40 PM | Permalink
