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Casey heading to the DL?

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It appears the Red Sox will be without first baseman Sean Casey for awhile.

Casey suffered a right hip-flexor sprain in the top of the second inning Friday night when scoring from second base on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, it was clear he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate, to give Boston a 3-1 lead, he was limping back to the dugout.

Following the Sox’ 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, Boston manager Terry Francona did not like the outlook for Casey.

“He’s sore,” said Francona. “When he came around third – I saw him right away – he was dragging his leg. Even before he hit home plate I told Jed Lowrie to get loose because I figured something was wrong. On examination it was horrible, but I’m sure we’re going to lose him for some time. We’ll get that figured out.”

If Casey does, in fact, head to the disabled list it's likely Brandon Moss will get the call from Pawtucket. The rookie, who is an outfielder by trade, has been playing first base since last September.

Francona said he would talk to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein tonight to figure out what to do.

Casey has been an integral part of the lineup since third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL with sprained left thumb. Casey entered Friday’s game with a .346 average with eight RBI this season. In fact, he’s hitting .407 in his last nine games with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 4 runs scored.

Lowell made his first of three rehab appearances for the PawSox Friday night and went 1-for-5 with two RBI as Pawtucket’s DH. He slated to play third on Saturday and DH again on Sunday. Francona said Friday night there is no way the team will recall him before he’s ready.

“We’re not going to do that,” he said. “It didn’t surprise me that I had two text messages from Mike Lowell; that was not the shocker of the evening. We don’t want to make a mistake. If we do something like (bringing him back early) and he hurts that thumb then that would be a poor decision. We have to let it run its course.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:50 PM | Permalink

Update: Casey pulled from game

Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey just left the game with a right hip-flexor sprain and is listed as day-to-day. Jed Lowrie is now playing third base and Kevin Youkilis has shifted to first base.

Casey scored from second on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit in the top of the second inning. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate to give Boston a 3-1 lead, it was clear he was limping as he made his way into the dugout.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:49 PM | Permalink

Pregame notes: Colon to throw side session

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Today the Red Sox spoke with pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) and he’s on track to throw a side session in a couple of days. Actually, the team has scheduled the right-hander to throw three side sessions, barring setbacks, prior to May 5.

Colon’s out-clause in his contract is May 1, so, knowing he wouldn’t be able to pitch before then, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke with Colon’s representatives, while manager Terry Francona spoke with the pitcher to make sure he understands how the team feels about him.

"We wanted to make sure he understood that we want to keep him,'' said Francona.

The Red Sox and Colon’s representatives, said Francona, "have worked some things out where (the opt-out date) has been moved back, and I don’t anticipate any problems. He wants to stay and we want him to stay.''

The best case scenario for Colon is he would be able to pitch in a game on or around May 5. Francona said everyone feels comfortable with this situation.

* * *
Francona gave his flu report today and everyone in the clubhouse appears to be a lot better. He said catcher Jason Varitek spent Thursday’s game at Fenway in the bullpen and "tolerated'' it. At one point Francona called the bullpen to check on Varitek's availability, but bullpen coach Gary Tuck said that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

Varitek still looks beat up from the bug, but Francona said he would be available to play tonight if needed. With Tim Wakefield pitching, Kevin Cash is behind the plate. The manager also said Varitek should be back in the lineup on Saturday.

Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who remained in Boston due to the flu, felt good enough today to work out at Fenway Park. The right-hander will throw a side session on Saturday.

* * *
Relief pitcher Bryan Corey has returned. The right-hander will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Rays. He began the season with Boston before he was designated for assignment on April 11. He decided to become a free agent, but re-signed with the Sox on a minor-league deal on April 22. To make room on the roster for Corey, The Red Sox sent Justin Masterson back to Double-A Portland after he made his major-league debut on Thursday.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:32 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

BOSTON

Ellsbury, cf
Pedroia, 2b
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, lf
Youkilis, 3b
Drew, rf
Casey, 1b
Lugo, ss
Cash, c
Wakefield, SP

TAMPA

Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Gomes, DH
Longoria, 3b
Hinske, 1b
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Bartlett, ss
Garza, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:55 PM | Permalink

Corey rejoins Red Sox

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Bryan Corey from Pawtucket today. The right-hander will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Rays. He began the season with Boston before he was designated for assignment on April 11. He decided to become a free agent, but re-signed with the Sox on a minor-league deal on April 22.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:18 PM | Permalink

New varieties of Red Sox wine set to hit shelves

Last year, there was Manny Being Merlot and Schilling Schardonnay. This year, three more Red Sox players will appear on bottles of wine that will be sold to support baseball-affiliated charities.

Charity Wines, which according to its Web site "partners with superstar athletes and celebrities to create fine wines and help raise funds for charities," is hosting a private party on May 15 in Boston to present The Captain's Cabernet (featuring Jason Varitek, proceeds to benefit Pitching in for Kids), Vintage Papi (featuring David Ortiz, proceeds to benefit The David Ortiz Children's Fund) and SauvignYoouuk Blanc (featuring Kevin Youkilis, proceeds to benefit Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids).

Last year I actually bought a bottle of CaberKnuckle (featuring Tim Wakefield, proceeds to benefit Pitching In for Kids), and it was pretty good, so that's somewhat of an endorsement.

Boston isn't the only city that is a target market for Charity Wines: the company is also unveiling new Yankees, Mets, Braves, Reds, Cubs, Orioles and Phillies-themed varieties.

Here's some bad advance press, though: The New York Daily News actually called in restaurateur Paul Grieco to do a blind tasting of Red Sox wines vs. Yankees wines (hey, the game was rained out that day), and Grieco gave Bobby Abreu's Finest Merlot the nod over Vintage Papi, and Jorge's Cabernet the advantage over the Varitek variety. I still say 'Tek does a better job working with pitchers, though.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Baseball Today: Friday, April 25

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

MASTERFUL: Baseball Musing's David Pinto has the headline we almost used for Justin Masterson's performance yesterday in his emergency start against the Angels, and it certainly fits. Because, in the words of Paul Kenyon, "A few years from now, or maybe even in only a few months, not many people are likely to remember that the Red Sox bullpen blew a lead yesterday and the Sox lost to the Angels, 7-5. It is very likely, though, that many will remember they were there the day Justin Masterson made his major-league debut." Steven Krasner gives his first-day impressions in Inside The Game. And on his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty has a quick Q-and-A with Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen about Masterson.

The skunk at yesterday's garden party was the bullpen (Boston Herald), which turned a 3-1 seventh-inning lead -- and a potential Masterson victory -- into a 7-3 ninth-inning deficit that was only made more respectable by David Ortiz' two-out, two-run homer in the ninth (described here by Krasner). But a loss in the 24th game of the season, no matter how it happens, is backpage news when a pitcher performs as well as Justin Masterson his first time on the big stage. He's going back to Portland now -- Bryan Corey is replacing him on the roster -- but we'll no doubt be seeing more of him. And perhaps very soon.

M*A*S*H NOTES: Krasner notes that Josh Beckett looks okay to make his Sunday start, but the flu-ridden Daisuke Matsuzaka will stay home this weekend and miss the series in Tampa.

MANNY BEING MANNY: You can't say a bad word about Manny Ramirez to some people, and Krasner acknowledges that he may catch some heat from the Manny Can Do No Wrong You Mediot You crowd, but he still takes Ramirez to task for not hustling on wind-blown, second-inning popup that fell in for a hit, a hit that should have been a double but was only a single because he "lolly-gagged his way down the first-base line." Kraz also chronicles the first rematch between Ramirez and Francisco Rodriguez since Manny won Game Two of the ALDS with a home run that just recently touched down somewhere over the Canadian border; K-Rod won this battle though Ramirez did drive the ball to the triangle in center.

COCO BEING COCO: Krasner and Kenyon detail a successful return to the lineup by Coco Crisp, and Krasner breaks down Crisp's fourth-inning steal of third.

JUNK TO YOU, TREASURE TO ME: The David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the new Yankee Stadium proved to be a $175,100 windfall for the Jimmy Fund. (New York Daily News)

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY: Casey Kotchman missed Game Three of last year's ALDS because of food poisoning. But even though he's pretty sure he got it from something he ate on the plane ride from Boston to Los Angeles after Game Two, he avoided all food, except for a few protein bars, at Fenway Park during the just-concluded series. (Los Angeles Times)

ASK 14: Jim Rice's blog is certainly no 38pitches.com, but for what it is -- a forum for Rice to answer questions from readers -- it continually delivers. Today he refutes an assertion that the Sox were too conservative in keeping him out of the 1975 World Series by stating, "I couldn’t play. I couldn’t grip a bat."

DOWN ON THE FARM: Mike Szostak has an interesting conversation with PawSox knuckleballer Charlie Zink.

DON'T BOTHER: A Roy Oswalt-to-the-Yankees rumor began circulating yesterday (mlb.com), but he's already told the Houston Chronicle the only three teams to whom he'd accept a trade are the Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves.

THE PATRIOTS CAN TELL YOU HOW TOUGH IT IS TO BE PERFECT: Joba Chamberlain suffered his first major-league loss last night as the White Sox pushed across a run in the ninth and beat the Yankees, 7-6. And if that's not bad enough, the next stop for Joba (and the Yanks) is Cleveland, where a swarm of midges derailed their postseason hopes last October. (New York Post) Phil Hughes was last night's starting pitcher but was lifted after two innings because of a rain delay. The Daily News' John Harper says that was the right move by manager Joe Girardi.

GIVE HIM A MINUTE, WILL YA? The blog Bugs and Cranks thinks it's absurdly early to be giving a thumbs-down, or a thumbs-up, on Hughes.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING: At least that's how most Yankee fans are probably responding to the news that Kyle Farnsworth hurt his elbow last night. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

REACTION TIME: Writing in the New York Sun, Steven Goldman says both the Yankees and Mets have been slower to address their problems than their competitors.

HANG IN THERE: Jim Kaat says that while the current Yankees "don't compare to the ones of the late 1990s", they can still win the East if they stay in contention all season and put themselves in position to make a run by Labor Day. (yesnetwork.com)

ACE WILD: Francisco Liriano's recovery from elbow surgery isn't going well -- as yesterday's "nine-batter beatdown" in an 11-2 loss to the A's demonstrates -- and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire all but said after the game that the left-hander, now 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA, will be sent to the minor leagues next week to get the rehab work he needs. (St. Paul Pioneer Press) Pinto, who wonders if Liriano is worried about reinjuring himself, thinks that's a good idea.

STAGE FRIGHT: The blog The Good Phight lists the seven stages of sports star appreciation in Philadelphia, and notes with worry that Ryan Howard is in Stage Five, from which "[most] players do not recover." But Pat Burrell, said to be buried in Stage Six, was a hero for the Phils again yesterday. (Philadephia Inquirer)

AND THE WINNER IS . . . Oakland. The A's are the team that landed Frank Thomas. (San Jose Mercury News)

COUNTING DOWN TO AN EXPLOSION: The Bucco Blog is furious at the way the Pirates are handling Tom Gorzelanny, and says he needs to be shut down. Perhaps the Bucs could take a cue from the Japanese high school coach who forfeited a game that his team trailed 66-0 in the second inning because he was afraid his pitcher's pitch count would reach 500 by the fourth inning. (Reuters)

REPAYING HIS DEBT TO SOCIETY: Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes spent 25 hours last week cleaning out cages and mopping at a Tampa zoo as way of getting his probation on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge reduced by five months. (St. Petersburg Times) Dukes had the time because he's on the disabled list due to a hamstring pull.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Remember Statman, the guy who provided so much entertainment when he revealed himself to be Dan Duquette's statistical analyst in the spring of 1997? He's back, and he's calling on all fans "bombard their team owners with letters and emails and petitions demanding that their team hire Barry Bonds." The blog Big League Stew has done just that -- sort of -- to the Indians, but Royals fans need not bother; their team isn't interested. (Kansas City Star)

SOUND FAMILIAR? It's probably just a coincidence that they made this announcement two months after Dr. Charles Steinberg joined them from the Red Sox, but the Dodgers yesterday announced ambitious plans to renovate Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Times), and they want to have it finished by the stadium's 50th anniversary in 2012 . . . the same year the Sox say they'll be finished with their renovations of Fenway Park, which that year will be celebrating its 100th anniversary.

THE REAL CURSE: The Sporting News' Gerry Fraley calls it "the curse of the Mitchell Report," and says it's struck Jason Giambi and Eric Gagne particularly hard.

AMNESTY MEANS AMNESTY: Bud Selig says that just as players named in the Mitchell Report face no discipline from MLB, neither do team executives who were implicated. (New York Daily News)

STICK TO THE SPONSOR: NJ.com reports players aren't allowed to drink water in the dugouts at Chicago's US Cellular Field. They can only take Gatorade, which is Major League Baseball's "official sports drink."

OH, FOR A MULLIGAN: FoxSports' Tracy Ringolsby lists 12 deals general managers wish they had back. No Red Sox transactions made the list, though the Yankees (Carl Pavano) had one.

GAME OF THE DAY: Tim Lincecum outdueled Chris Young as the Giants beat the Padres, 1-0. (San Jose Mercury News)

I GOT A BASEBALL JONES: SI.com's John Donovan looks at the one-time Braves tandem of Chipper and Andruw Jones, who have gone their separate ways both geographically and career-wise.

THE WRIGHT STUFF: The blog Big League Stew has an interesting sitdown with the Mets' David Wright.

FIRST OF MANY? Ron Washington could the inaugural managerial casualty of 2008 if the Rangers don't turn things around soon. (Dallas Morning News)

BROKEN: On his blog earlier this week, Blue Jays catcher Gregg Zaun said his team's road trip "could make or break our April." With three straight losses to the Rays, guess we know which way it's going.

HERE AND THERE: Harold Reynolds is joining the studio team at the Mets' network, SportsNet New York (New York Daily News) . . . The Orioles' 8-7 win over the Mariners was tempered by the news that Adam Loewen has forearm discomfort (Baltimore Sun) . . . Gary Sheffield says he doesn't know what's wrong with his shoulder (Detroit Free Press) . . . The Giants have no intention of skipping a start or two of the struggling Barry Zito. (San Francisco Chronicle)

OLD FRIENDS: Another ex-Red Sox reliever blew a game in relief for the Brewers yesterday, but this time it was David Riske and not Eric Gagne (Wisconsin State Journal) . . . Dave Roberts, who'll be out three months because of knee surgery, says he knows he may have lost his job to Fred Lewis but he understands that's how it goes (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Justin Duchscherer will return to the A's rotation Saturday. (rotoworld.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:53 AM | Permalink