Wells not optimistic on future

David Wells played catch yesterday and planned to undergo his second of three Synvisc injections in his right knee last night. In the interim, the soon-to-be 43-year-old did not sound optimistic about his ability to again pitch with health.

''Nah," Wells said, when asked if the initial injection helped. ''It still hurts. I could feel it on almost every [throw]. If I struggle to play catch, imagine pitching."

Wells, in one breath, said he's not ready to walk away. ''Until they tell me to go home, I will [keep at it]," he said.

But, he also acknowledged, ''If it's going to be a struggle to pitch, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to jeopardize my health. I've got two boys who are very active. I'd like to think I can hang on and do stuff with them instead of crippling myself now to try to pitch.

''I'm not going to be stubborn. I think health is more of an issue than pitching. Am I saddened by this? Yeah."

Wells, who had arthroscopic surgery after last season, said that beyond Synvisc -- an artificial joint fluid -- ''the next [step] is knee replacement, and then your career is over."

He assumes a replacement is inevitable.

''Probably somewhere down the road, maybe," Wells said. ''Depends. If I'm still fat and heavy, then I might."

That isn't occupying his thoughts yet. He's more concerned with whether the injections take. If they don't . . .

''If they don't work, then I don't pitch and I go home," he said. ''There really isn't anything you can do. It sucks. I would have said goodbye last year. But I pitched well last year and . . . I felt pretty good in spring training. Then it flares up again and you're back to square one."

If Wells can't pitch, the Sox would be on the hook for his full 2006 salary and signing bonus ($4.075 million), unless he officially retires. It's also possible, though unlikely, the Sox and Wells could reach an agreement in which he'd receive a percentage of his pay in exchange for calling it a career.

He has one more injection to go, a week from today, and soon thereafter he will know whether the medication worked. If it does not, he could have another round of shots (there's no limit, according to physicians familiar with Synvisc).

His Rule 5 obligation fulfilled Wednesday, Adam Stern packed for Pawtucket yesterday. He was replaced on the Sox' active roster by Willie Harris, the utilityman best known for scoring the only run in Chicago's clinching, 1-0 Game 4 win in last year's World Series.

Harris, who signed with the Red Sox Feb. 1, had a clause in his contract that would have allowed him to become a free agent April 20 if he was not on the club's major league roster. April 20 was chosen precisely because it was the day the Sox finally could send Stern to Pawtucket without having to offer him back to the Atlanta Braves.

''I'd rather not say," Harris said, when asked if he would have opted out had he not been called up.

Harris hit just .161 with a homer, 4 RBIs, and 3 steals in 14 games (10 in center, four at second base) with Pawtucket.

Harris, who came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh last night and singled in two at-bats, won't play a lot here, but he can enter as a defensive replacement, start the odd game in center field, and steal a base (he's swiped 49 in 61 career attempts).

''Willie's used to doing that and that's his job," manager Terry Francona said. ''There's kind of a big difference there between Adam doing it and Willie."

For Stern, such limited playing time likely would have further stunted his development. Since completing college at the University of Nebraska in the spring of 2001, Stern has only 1,143 pro at-bats. (Kevin Youkilis, who broke into pro ball the same summer, has 1,742 at-bats.)

''Two years since I played every day," said Stern, who in 46 big league games hit .143 (5 for 35) with a double, a homer, and six RBIs. ''It's going to be weird."

''This is what he needs to do," Francona said. ''If there's a chance he can be an everyday player in the major leagues, and we think there's a chance, he's got to go get 500 at-bats."

Josh Beckett pitches tonight at Toronto, where he could face Shea Hillenbrand. Beckett threw a 3-and-1 pitch to Hillenbrand in the home opener that Hillenbrand thought was ball four. He took a step toward first base before being called back. He promptly grounded into an inning-ending double play, which led Beckett to pump his fist and scream. After the game, Beckett said he ''didn't appreciate" Hillenbrand's assumption that he'd walked. Hillenbrand, speaking to the media over the ensuing days, had a few choice words for Beckett. ''I don't get into he-said she-said bull," Beckett said yesterday. Beckett was then asked this question: Why is it not OK for Hillenbrand to begin to take his base, or for Ryan Howard to jog out of the box on a deep fly ball, but it is OK for Beckett to pump his fist and yell at an opposing hitter? ''Just the situation," Beckett said. ''Probably not the greatest thing for me to do, either." . . . David Riske (strained lower back) was eligible to come off the disabled list yesterday. Francona said, ''I don't think he's close to being ready. I do think he's doing better. I don't know the time. Rather than guess, I'd rather tell you I don't know."

Coco Crisp, who was to have his splint removed yesterday at the earliest, was fitted for a different splint that will allow him to do some baseball activities while the Sox are on the road for 10 days. His left index finger will be reevaluated when the Sox return May 1, at which time Francona said Crisp should ''be able to start getting after it a bit." Francona said Crisp won't be ready for the Sox-Yankees series that begins May 1, when Johnny Damon, whom Crisp replaced in center field, returns. The Sox won't issue any more of a timetable than that, but it's a safe guess Crisp, who last played April 8, will miss about one full month . . . David Ortiz received the 2005 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award before last night's game . . . The Devil Rays improved to 20-49 all time at Fenway, 4-20 dating to September 2003, and 1-8 in their last nine games here . . . Julian Tavarez faced three batters to begin the ninth: Jonny Gomes homer, Damon Hollins double, Ty Wigginton RBI double, turning a 3-1 deficit to 5-1. ''Threw a good pitch," Tavarez said of the pitch to Gomes. ''The home run was down. The doubles were low, middle of the plate. They hit some good low pitches." . . . Tim Wakefield, since allowing seven runs in his debut, has a 1.56 ERA (23 IP, 4 ER) . . . Youkilis doubled in his first at-bat, making him 4 for 8 to begin games in which he's hitting leadoff. He's compiled a .463 on-base percentage this season out of the top spot in the order . . . Mike Lowell on the 10-game homestand: .324 (11 for 34) with seven doubles.