Alvarez is back in business

PHILADELPHIA -- The revolving door keeps spinning for the 12th man on the Red Sox pitching staff. Lefthander Mike Holtz, who got a big out in relief of Curt Schilling Tuesday night in Baltimore, has a strained muscle near his pitching elbow and was placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Wednesday).

In his place, the Sox summoned lefthander Abe Alvarez from Triple A Pawtucket, marking Alvarez's fourth go-round in a Sox uniform. He made his big-league debut at age 21 in 2004, when he was called up as an emergency starter and lost, 8-3, to the Orioles. He had two stints with the big club last season, though he did not appear in a game when called up in July. He pitched twice out of the bullpen in late August, giving up four runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings.

This time, Alvarez comes to the Sox with a spotless 5-0 record and 2.18 ERA for the PawSox, though he hadn't pitched since May 7, having been rained out of three starts in a 10-day span. That includes the start he was scheduled to make Thursday in Buffalo, a stroke of good fortune for him when the Sox determined that day that Holtz had to go on the DL.

''Holtz strained a muscle near his elbow. It was on the last pitch in Baltimore, when he got the lefty [Brandon Fahey] out," manager Terry Francona said. ''I think he had kind of felt something a few days before that and really didn't say much."

Holtz has a history of elbow problems. He had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery when he was still at Clemson in 1992, missed five weeks with bone chips in 2003, and had surgery to remove bone chips in the elbow in 2004. He spent what he considered a rehab season in Japan in 2005, before signing a split contract with the Sox Feb. 1

Alvarez joins David Riske, Jermaine Van Buren, Manny Delcarmen, and Holtz as pitchers who have held essentailly the same role in the Sox bullpen. Alvarez's stay may be a short one.

''We'll put him in the bullpen and see where it goes," Francona said. ''David will probably be ready Monday. He'll fulfill what we want him to do. So then we'll figure out something."

Alvarez is a soft tosser. ''You can catch him with a napkin," one scout said last night. But the Sox have always loved his command (236 strikeouts to 65 walks in the minors entering this season) and his competitiveness.

''They're really happy with his cutter into righties," Francona said of a pitch Alvarez picked up from Triple A pitching coach Mike Griffin and Sox pitching coach Al Nipper last season, ''and his changeup away. It sounds to me like his velocity is the same, the demeanor is the same, he locates really well."

''My confidence is high," Alvarez said. ''This is a challenge I look forward to take on."

With Francona needing to find a way to get David Ortiz on the field, Kevin Youkilis drew the short straw and did not start last night against the Phillies, a move that made the manager look smart when Mike Lowell homered in his first at-bat. Lowell is scheduled to sit tonight, with Youkilis playing third, and Ortiz getting the day off tomorrow, Francona said, barring unforeseen circumstances. Trot Nixon batted leadoff last night. ''[Lenny] DiNardo's pitching Sunday, I'd like to keep our infield defense out there," Francona said. ''And if David's ever going to miss a game, I'd like it to be a day game after a night game." . . . The Sox announced that the May 13 rainout against the Rangers will be made up as the opener of a day-night doubleheader June 10. The makeup game will begin at 1:20 and will be televised by Fox. Tickets for the May 13 game will be honored at that game, or can be exchanged for another available date. The start of the regularly scheduled night game will be pushed back to 8:05. In addition, the Sox announced that the Aug. 12 game against Baltimore at Fenway Park will have a 7:05 start after originally being scheduled for 1:20. The game will be televised by NESN . . . J.T. Snow acknowledged that he went to Francona a couple of weeks ago to express his desire to be traded if he wasn't going to play more. ''I'm very appreciative of his professionalism," Francona said. ''One of three things will happen: I'll stay here, I'll be traded, or they'll let me go and hopefully I can sign with somebody else," Snow said. ''There are no hard feelings, there's no bitterness, it's been handled the right way and on a very professional level. The timing is difficult because it's early in the year and teams are pretty much set." Most likely scenario? Because of his $2 million contract, clubs are likely to wait for the Sox to release Snow, then sign him for the prorated big-league minimum. Snow entered last night's in the seventh inning as a defensive replacement.

Manny Ramírez was late getting back from the offday, appearing on the field about eight minutes before 6, when the team already had begun batting practice. Francona said Ramírez had informed the team that he'd be a bit tardy; Ramirez, who often eschews BP on the field, took some swings with his regular group last night . . . Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who did not make an appearance in Texas for Opening Day, was not in New York for the Yankees series, and took a pass on returning to his old haunts in Baltimore, was in attendance last night. Lucchino had been in New York for the quarterly owners' meetings. He did not come onto the field before the game . . . David Wells, who is scheduled to make a rehab start in Scranton, Pa., tomorrow for Double A Portland, was the last Sox pitcher to get a hit before Matt Clement collected an infield single in the fifth inning last night. Wells had an RBI single here last June 26. Sox pitchers were a combined 3 for 19 with two RBIs in 2005; Tim Wakefield had the other two hits and an RBI . . . Even though Alex Gonzalez went 0 for Baltimore (0 for 10), Alex Cora remains anchored to the bench. Cora played an inning defensively Wednesday night after Snow pinch hit for Gonzalez, his first action since May 7. Cora hasn't made a start in the infield since April 29 . . . Gonzalez was up to 0 for his last 13 when Phillies manager Charlie Manuel ordered him intentionally walked with first base open and Clement the next batter in the sixth. Clement struck out looking . . . Riske (lower back strain) gave up a run on a hit and two walks in a rehab assignment for the PawSox in Buffalo; he's scheduled to pitch again today.