Searching for right answer without Nixon
BALTIMORE -- With little chance of extricating Carlos Beltran from the Astros, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein last night almost certainly was monitoring the market for another high-impact outfielder, though the Sox seemed more likely to forge ahead with their current talent after the latest blow to Trot Nixon. The right fielder will be sidelined for at least two weeks, if not longer, with a Grade 2 tear in his left quadriceps.
"Rather than moan about getting other players, I think we should concern ourselves with the guys who are here," manager Terry Francona said. "Theo's going to do what he thinks is in our best interest and I'm going to do the same thing with the guys we have on the field. So rather than run up to his office and say we need this or that, I just want to try to get our guys to play the game right. I think it's too easy to jump ship and start asking for stuff."
Nixon said his quad hurts more "by far" than it did when he first injured it in early May while recovering from a slightly herniated disk. He received regular injections of the painkiller Toradol for nearly a month before the Sox placed him on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.
"This thing, unfortunately, does not feel good," he said.
Nixon said the injury could require 6-8 weeks of rest to completely heal, though he chafed at the idea of missing that much time. Still, when he was asked his prognosis for returning this season, Nixon said, "It's a tough question for me to answer because I want to play. I want to be a part of this ball club every year. But it's real easy when I start thinking that way to look at my teammates and say I've got so much faith in these guys."
Nixon said he was concerned that rushing back from the injury could require him to undergo surgery that could sideline him part of next season. He also worried about the injury shortening his career. He will undergo a follow-up MRI Friday to gauge how much the quad has healed after five days of complete rest. Regardless of the outcome, he is expected to need considerable time for the injury to sufficiently heal before he could begin preparing for game action.
"I don't think anybody knows," Francona said of Nixon's prognosis. "I would like to think we give him a little blow here and he can come back. You know he's going to play with pain. He's shown that, probably too much, to the point where he hurts himself. But we need him to come back to the point where he can play and be productive, not limp around."
Meanwhile, Gabe Kapler, the offensive star last night, will get the bulk of the time during Nixon's absence. He went 3 for 5 and has at least one hit in 14 of his last 15 starts, batting .389 over that stretch.
"He gives you everything he has, so for me to come out and say we need this or that, I'm just not comfortable doing that," Francona said. "I guess I just feel like whoever we have, we should win."
"Gabe's going to be an important player for us the next couple weeks," Francona said. "He does so many things well. When he hits, he impacts us that way. He's got speed. He's got energy."
Kapler has not shied from the additional responsibility.
"I prepare myself the same way every day, regardless if I'm playing," he said. "I'm just hoping to contribute. It might be something little, like scoring on a hit that maybe somebody else couldn't score on. Sometimes you have to look beyond the box scores to see what I'm alluding to."
