Cleveland @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2010 ) Cleveland 1, Boston 3
The Boston Red Sox got the worst news possible when first baseman Kevin Youkilis was diagnosed with a torn adductor muscle in his right thumb and was placed on the disabled list Tuesday.
The injury could be the final straw for Boston, which is fading in its race to secure a playoff spot in the American League.
Boston plays host to the Cleveland Indians in the finale of a three-game series Wednesday.
Youkilis is hitting .307 with 19 homers and 62 RBIs. He is also a Gold Glove first baseman who has protected David Ortiz in the lineup for most the season.
Youkilis injured his thumb swinging at a pitch in his first at-bat on Monday. He left the game a couple of innings later and the Red Sox have sent him to several specialists to see if he’ll require surgery.
Most of them said he will - and some even insisted that if Youkilis doesn’t have surgery, the injury could become career threatening.
That could spell the end of the season for Boston’s star first baseman. With Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury and others already on the disabled list, the chances that the Red Sox will catch either the New York Yankees or the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East standings seem remote.
If they do, they’ll have to rely on their starting pitching. Jon Lester, who has lost three straight games, starts for the Red Sox against former teammate Justin Masterson.
Masterson has struggled for much of the season but, ironically, had his best outing against Boston a couple of months ago when he shut the Red Sox out on two hits. It is his only career shutout and came in an 11-0 blowout for the Indians.
Lester is 3-0 against the Indians in his career. He is among the league leaders in just about every major category.
Mike Lowell will fill in for Youkilis. Lowell finished his rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket last week and the Red Sox were looking to trade the veteran third baseman. When Boston learned that the rival Yankees were the most enamored with Lowell, it pondered its options.
Then Youkilis was injured and Lowell was a natural to take over at first base. He could be there for the remainder of the season.
Lowell made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup, belting a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw to lift the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory on Tuesday. Josh Beckett did the rest, limiting Cleveland to three hits over eight innings.
Cleveland’s promising rookie catcher Carlos Santana was also placed on the disabled list after suffering a hyperextended left knee and a ligament strain in Monday’s game. He could miss the rest of the season if surgery is required.