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Pregame This and That, April 9

-- Curt Schilling remains in the background, continuing his rehabilitation on his ailing right shoulder. Manager Terry Francona said The Big Schill is chomping at the bit to play catch, the first in a series of many steps toward returning to the mound, but that he is "not there" just yet in the estimation of Mike Reinhold, the team's rehab co-ordinator and assistant trainer.

-- Jacoby Ellsbury is back in the starting lineup in center field, putting Coco Crisp back on the bench.

A look at the box scores would indicate that the two are being platooned, with Ellsbury starting against right-handed pitching and Crisp starting against left-handers, but Francona said that when they have played has partly been determined by various circumstances, such as days off. Francona said he doesn't want either one to sit for an extended period of time this early in the year.

-- David Ortiz is batting a woeful .103 (3 for 29) with one homer and three RBI. He did just miss crushing a grand slam into the right-field corner when his drive into the wind fell short Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park, but Francona said Ortiz's "foundation" at the plate isn't quite where the designated hitter would like it to be just yet.

Francona didn't seem to think his early season struggles are strictly a function of the offseason surgery Ortiz underwent to repair damage in his right knee.

--Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:36 PM | Permalink