Crisp expected back in the lineup Monday

Coco Crisp, provided he suffers no setbacks, will return to the Red Sox lineup Monday at Toronto, having missed exactly seven weeks and 42 games, manager Terry Francona said last night.

Crisp, recovering from a fractured left index finger and kidney stones, will work out with the Sox today and then travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to play in two extended spring training games tomorrow and Friday. Because of the flexible format of the games, Crisp can lead off as many innings as he pleases. Francona said Crisp should get 10-15 at-bats. He'll then travel to Pawtucket to play in Triple A Saturday night.

``He'll either play again [for Pawtucket] Sunday or come back and work out with us and go with us [to Toronto]," Francona said. ``That's to be determined, depending on the at-bats, how he feels, things like that."

Is there a chance Crisp could play here Sunday, in what would be his Fenway debut as a member of the Sox?

``No, I don't think that's what we're looking at," Francona said. ``If he needs the at-bats, he can stay and play the game [Sunday in Pawtucket]. It's a 6:05 game. Then he could fly to Toronto the next day.

``Or he could come back [to Boston after Saturday's game] if he feels playing three straight days and [having] a workout day would be good for him."

Yesterday, Crisp took 60 swings during batting practice (30 lefthanded, 30 righthanded) and ran a mile and a half (the half-mile backward).

``My stamina feels good," he said. ``I can go out there and jog a couple miles no problem. My endurance is fine."

He's done effectively the same thing the last two days and will repeat the process today.

The 42 games Crisp will have missed are just nine fewer than Johnny Damon sat out in his four seasons here combined.

Entering this series vs. the Yankees, Alex Cora had just 30 at-bats in 40 games. But he started last night for the second consecutive game -- something he had not done this season -- and has started all three home games this year vs. the Yankees. Of his 37 at-bats this season, 11 have come against New York, and with good results (6 for 11, 1 RBI, 2 walks). He singled twice last night, walked, and also reached on a second-inning error by Robinson Cano.

Alex Gonzalez, meanwhile, sat for the second consecutive night. He's 1 for his last 20 (a homer Saturday) and hasn't inspired enough confidence to start in these games vs. New York, though he will play tonight against lefthander Randy Johnson.

``Obviously, some of it is how [Cora] played [Monday] because he hadn't played two nights in a row all year," Francona said. ``Some of it is we're comfortable with Alex Cora out there and it gives Alex Gonzalez two straight days with [hitting coach Ron Jackson]. I think that could be beneficial also."

Gonzalez did not disagree with the decision to play Cora, who began the night hitting .244, 47 points higher than Gonzalez.

``I'm not hitting right now," said Gonzalez, who at .197 went into last night second to last among all regular shortstops in the majors in batting, ahead of only Chicago's Juan Uribe (.195). ``I can't be mad because I'm not swinging right. Cora, he can play too, you know, he can play defense, he can hit.

``He played great [Monday]. Made a couple plays, double plays, did a great job. All I can do is work and get ready again and start hitting. I know I haven't done what I'm supposed to do. Sometimes when you're not playing, you can find your swing. I know I can hit."

Gonzalez contends that he's healthy. Though he was wearing a sizable ice wrap on his elbow after Monday's game, he said that's standard procedure because he has undergone two surgeries on the elbow (Sept. 29, 2005, to remove a bone chip and Oct. 6, 2004, to clean up scar tissue).

``Just prevention," he said. ``When I come in, I get a little massage, after the game, lift weights, get ice. I feel good. I don't feel pain in my elbow."

Instead, he said, his issues are finding his swing and continuing to learn American League pitching tendencies.

``I have to make adjustments," he said. ``They don't pitch like the National League. Here they don't repeat pitches too much. They might come with a slider, then a sinker. It's an adjustment.

``Give me some time and I will hit. I just want to stay focused, consistent."

It was worth the price of admission to see Jonathan Papelbon's ninth-inning showdown with Gary Sheffield, who came off the DL yesterday, having missed most of the month with a contusion of his left wrist and hand. Sheffield violently offered at a first-pitch fastball that he fouled back. He then took a biblical cut and missed the second pitch, after which he nearly had to retie his shoelaces. Papelbon then went up top, with a high fastball at 95 miles per hour, that Sheffield swung at and missed. Yankees manager Joe Torre on the at-bat: ``[Third base coach] Larry Bowa said to me, `At least we know his hand is OK.' " Papelbon on Sheffield: ``He has an approach where if he sees a ball that he thinks he can get to, he's going to put everything into it. Personally, I like his approach." . . . Jorge Posada tweaked a tendon behind his knee, Torre said. He's questionable for tonight . . . Dustan Mohr fanned twice in two at-bats. He's 7 for 38 (.184) and has struck out 18 times in 38 at-bats. His roster spot is in peril when Crisp is activated . . . David Riske, in his second appearance of the season and first since April 4 at Texas, worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning . . . Tim Wakefield has made his last five starts against only two teams: the Yankees and Orioles. He's 2-2 with a 5.23 ERA in those five games.

Mark Loretta stretched his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .394 (13 for 33) in that span . . . Derek Jeter, who singled twice to improve his average to .352, is two hits shy of becoming the eighth Yankee to collect 2,000 . . . Last night's win was the 1,901st of Joe Torre's managerial career, tying him for 11th all-time with Gene Mauch . . . Damon scored two runs. The Yanks are 9-0 when he does that . . . Wily Mo Peña sat out with a sore left wrist for the second consecutive night. Peña, who missed four games with a similar issue last August, hopes to be back as soon as tonight. ``I think he's good enough where he'd like to play," Francona said. ``I think it makes sense to wait one more day. RJ is pitching, we'd definitely like him to be in the lineup."

For a gallery of photos from last night's game and news updates heading into tonight's Red Sox contest, go to www.boston.com/redsox