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Another long one tonight? »
April 17, 2008
*Kevin Youkilis contacted manager Terry Francona early this morning and informed him he was ready to play. The Sox' third baseman fouled a ball off his left big toe in the sixth inning on Wednesday. X-rays were negative.
“He made it very clear to me that if I didn’t play him he would be a pain in the butt,” said the manager. “That’s good news because when a guy has that kind of outlook at 10 in the morning and he’s laughing about it he’s probably feeling a little better than expected.”
Francona admitted he thought Youkilis would be feeling it this morning, but was relieved he was able to pencil him into the lineup tonight.
*Outfielder Coco Crisp has been hampered by a hamstring injury and is out of the lineup again tonight. Francona said this afternoon that Crisp could play if needed, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The manager said Crisp’s range-of-motion is fine.
*Infielder Alex Cora was placed on the 15-day DL Wednesday with a right-elbow sprain. He was scheduled to have an MRI but according to Francona the test could not be completed because Cora experienced a little anxiety in the tight quarters. He went back today to try again, this time in an open MRI machine.
*Pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) continues to just be. He was sitting in the visitor’s clubhouse earlier today, flipping a baseball. Francona said he still has no new information on when the veteran right-hander will begin to throw again. “I know he’s feeling good and he wants to get in there,” Francona said.
*Rookie infielder Jed Lowrie is celebrating his 24th birthday today at Yankee Stadium. He said his family is in town and they shared a birthday cake at his agent's office here in New York.
Line of the day comes from Francona when asked about the now famous unearthed David Ortiz jersey that was buried at the new Yankee Stadium and is up for auction.
“No one in the Francona household will be bidding on it. I’ll go and get him to sign one of his own.”
More to come. . .
Posted by Joe McDonald 
at 4:55 PM | Permalink
