Nixon is expected to miss three weeks

RED SOX

Right fielder Trot Nixon will miss at least three weeks, according to general manager Theo Epstein's ``very rough timetable," after an MRI showed a Grade 2 strain of the right biceps tendon.

``Grade 2, from what I understand, is moderate," manager Terry Francona said. ``It's not insignificant, it's not horrible, it's right in the middle."

The encouraging news is that Nixon apparently did not rupture the tendon , as former Red Sox first baseman Mo Vaughn did with a swing while playing for the Angels in August 2000.

Vaughn underwent surgery six months later to repair the entire biceps mechanism and missed the 2001 season.

The downside, of course, is that Nixon is back on the disabled list for the fifth time in his career and fourth time in the past 28 months. Since '04, Nixon has been disabled with a herniated disk in his back, a strained quadriceps, a strained oblique muscle, and now the strained biceps tendon. He played in just 172 games the previous two seasons but had appeared in 92 of the team's first 103 games this season.

Francona said Sunday night that Nixon had been experiencing pain in the biceps tendon since a series in Minnesota six weeks ago, but recently had been feeling better.

Nixon, who was injured on a swing and miss at a John Lackey changeup Sunday night, arrived at the park at 3:45 p.m., after undergoing the MRI, and went immediately to the trainer's room. A club official said he was still undergoing treatment when the clubhouse reopened after batting practice.

``Obviously it will hurt quite a bit to be without Trot, but that's one of the reasons Wily Mo Peña is on this team," said Epstein, who in the days before the trading deadline had shopped Nixon extensively but could not find a taker, according to a club source. ``So if we had an outfielder go down, he'd be available to step in. We'll get to see what he can do over the next few months and hopefully he does as good a job as he did when he filled in for Coco Crisp.

``I hate to put timetables on these things, but [it's] worthy of the DL, probably looking at three weeks or so. That's just a very rough timetable."

Nixon has been with the club since signing as a first-round draft choice in 1993 and is the longest-tenured member of the organization. He had been hitting as high as .335 before batting just .152 (10 for 66) in his past 18 games. He is eligible for free agency after the season.

Another player was hurt last night when catcher Jason Varitek was lifted for pinch hitter Doug Mirabelli in the third inning.

The club announced that Varitek had twisted his left knee and would undergo further testing today.

He appeared to sustain the injury when he hit the second-base bag awkwardly while advancing from first to second on Crisp's single in the second inning.

``I'm hoping I'm just being a little overly cautious," Francona said. ``I think Tek fought me on it a little bit but I think it is the best thing to do. Obviously, he'll be examined but I'm just trying to be cautious for the long haul."

Varitek became the 106th catcher in big-league history to appear in 1,000 games. Carlton Fisk ranks No. 1 at 2,226. Varitek caught his first big-league game Sept. 24, 1997.

Manny Ramírez's first-inning home run extended his hitting streak to 16 games, longest by a Sox player this season and within four of his 20-game streak in 2000, the longest of his career. Ramírez, who was playing with the Indians at the time, hit .425 (31 for 73) during that streak, with 3 home runs and 16 RBIs, en route to a career-best .351 average. Ramírez is batting .393 (22 for 56) during this streak. The home run was his ninth this month, five fewer than David Ortiz, who hit his 13th and 14th last night, breaking the club record for the month previously shared by Jimmie Foxx (1939) and by Clyde Vollmer (1951) . . . It was the 12th time Ramírez and Ortiz homered in the same game, matching the club record they set in 2004. It was the 42d time overall they've homered in the same game . . . After originally thinking new reliever Bryan Corey might not arrive until tomorrow from Texas, Francona was pleasantly surprised to see the righthander stroll into the clubhouse before last night's game. Corey was 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 16 appearances with the Rangers, who nonetheless designated the 32-year-old for assignment. Why would the Sox be interested in a converted infielder out of the same Southern California junior college as Crisp (Pierce), now with his ninth organization (the Tigers twice), who had appeared in just four major league games before the Rangers promoted him this season? Francona mentioned Corey's success against lefthanders, who have just five hits in 34 at-bats against him this season, a .147 average. Francona also mistakenly referred to Corey as ``Mark."

With Kyle Snyder pressed into relief duty last night, Jason Johnson will be recalled from Pawtucket for tonight's start, necessitating a roster move to make room for him. Jermaine Van Buren, as expected, was optioned to Pawtucket to make room for David Wells . . . Keith Foulke's back was still acting up, so he won't throw as hoped today. Matt Clement? The plan was for him to play some catch, but it's almost as if he has fallen completely off the Sox' radar . . . Oddest pregame sight of the night was Zakk Wylde, the bearded guitarist who once played for Ozzy Osbourne and is now with the heavy-metal band Black Label Society, hugging Francona in the dugout. The hug was initiated by Wylde, who will be playing with his band at the Ozfest today at the Tweeter Center. Rudy Seanez, evidently a big fan, visited with the band before the game and asked Wylde to sign a ball for him.