- It all starts with pitching, and the top of the Red Sox rotation is looking good this spring. Jon Lester threw six perfect innings against Tampa Bay on Sunday and has a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings in the preseason. Clay Buchholz has been just as sharp, allowing just one run in 13.1 Grapefruit League innings for a 0.68 ERA, including just one hit (a home run by Neil Walker) in five innings on Monday.
- Like the Yankees, there are a lot of injury concerns in the start the year in Boston. David Ortiz is not progressing. He did pick up a bat and do some batting practice in the cage on Tuesday but both heels have been bothering since his Achilles injury last summer.
Stephen Drew is still dealing with concussion symptoms and was sent to a concussion center in Pittsburgh on Tuesday for evaluation. Drew has not played since being struck in the helmet by a pitch on March 7.
A couple lefties are still hurting. Franklin Morales is in the Bulging Disk (disc/disk?) Club and Craig Breslow has been sidelined with weakness in his left shoulder.
The four of them (Ortiz, Drew, Morales and Breslow) are expected to start the season on the DL.
- The injuries open up opportunities for some young guns, including the hot-hitting Jackie Bradley, Jr. On Tuesday he got his 18th base hit in 41 at bats of the spring for a .439 clip. With Ortiz out, Jonny Gomes will likely start as the designated hitter, giving Bradley some space in left field. Napoli could DH, but backup first basemen Mike Carp and Mauro Gomez haven’t hit a lick and veteran Lyle Overbay hasn’t been much better. With Stephen Drew out, slick fielding Jose Iglesias should join Bradley in the starting lineup at shortstop hitting in the #9 spot.
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