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Who's At Short?
March 14, 2009
3.14.
09, 6:29 PM
Who's At Short?
Ortiz, Lowell Homer
Down Goes Lugo, Pedroia
Lowrie To Start?
By: Jared Carrabis
We've got a lot to discuss today, so let's get right down to it.
Last night, the Red Sox took on the Yankees in Spring Training action with Tim Wakefield on the mound. The 42-year-old right-hander gave up four runs in 2.2 innings, while striking out three, against the Bombers and struggled to throw strikes. Although his performance may have shown otherwise, Wakefield said after the 8-4 win that his shoulder "felt fine."
Playing his first game back at his natural position of third base on Friday night was Mike Lowell. Lowell went 2-for-2 and in the bottom of the second inning, Lowell cranked a solo shot off of Chien-Ming Wang to brush the skeptics off of his shoulders. Lowell played the hot corner without any clear indications of pain and will likely be Boston's Opening Day starter at third base. (Keep your fingers crossed).
Returning from the World Baseball Classic, after a quick and almost embarrassing exit by the Dominican team, was lefty slugger, David Ortiz. In his return, Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a towering two-run blast off of Chien-Ming Wang in the very same inning as Lowell. On Friday, Ortiz announced that his second World Baseball Classic will be his last. Ortiz claimed that the World Baseball Classic takes away from his time to prepare for the upcoming season with the rest of his teammates that do not participate in the tournament.
"I don't think I will," Ortiz said. "That's going to be another four years, and by that time I don't think I'm going to be thinking about that anymore. I've already done it twice, so people don't complain about it back home." No arguments from me; team first.
On Friday night against the Yankees, Julio Lugo took the field defensively at shortstop but was later scratched from the lineup when his spot in the batting order came up. While fan's scratched their heads, Lugo's name was being scratched from the lineup card due to soreness in his right knee. The Boston shortstop was sent for an MRI and admitted Saturday that he is "worried" about the results.
"I'm worried," Lugo said. "Every time you have something hurt, you're worried because I know I'm the type, when something bothers me, when I say something, I'm in pain. Otherwise I'm not going to complain to pain. If you see me coming out, I'm hurting."
The results of the MRI will likely be announced before Sunday. If Lugo starts the season on the disabled list, Jed Lowrie would be the clear-cut winner for the position to start on Opening Day. Filling the void as the utility middle-infielder would be either Nick Green or Ivan Ochoa.
Manager Terry Francona told reporters on Saturday morning that he fears it may be a torn meniscus as the cause of Lugo's pain. When it comes to injuries, Francona usually keeps his lips sealed until he knows specific details. His comments can only justify the assumption that this injury may turn out to be awful news for the hopeful Julio Lugo, who was vying to become the Opening Day starter at shortstop for the Sox.
While we're on the topic of injuries to middle-
infielders, the news of an injury to Dustin Pedroia leaked not long after the Red Sox fell to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. According to Tom Verducci of SI.com, Pedroia injured himself during a workout in Miami on Friday. Pedroia has since left Team USA to head back to Fort Myers in order to be examined by the Red Sox' team doctors. The initial reports say that the injury is a "strained muscle near his rib cage," but I'm sure we will learn more details after his examination. "Hopefully this is just a couple of days," Pedroia said.
While the World Baseball Classic is exciting, the excitement comes at a great risk. Hopefully this injury will be day-to-day as Pedroia, as well as the rest of Red Sox Nation, hopes, but this is a perfect example of why there is no "right time" to have this tournament; but who's to say that this kind of injury couldn't have happened while he was with the team? Ask Julio Lugo, he hasn't left the team and he just may be kissing his starting job on Opening Day goodbye without playing a single game in the World Baseball Classic.
If Lugo is to start the season on the disabled list, Jed Lowrie is certainly not a "downgrade", rather he may be an upgrade, considering his above average defense and his ability to spray the ball to all fields from both sides of the plate. In Saturday's loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Lowrie had an RBI double with two walks. In 26 at bats this spring, Lowrie is batting .385 with a .452 on base percentage to go along with three doubles and two triples.
It is clear now that if Lugo isn't ready to go by April 6, that Lowrie will be the man standing on the infield dirt in the shadow of the Green Monster, but with numbers like these, how could you deny the man this position anyway?
-Jared Carrabis
-Jared Carrabis
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