Tavarez in a happy place

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The month of March is coming to a much happier conclusion for Julian Tavarez this spring.

Yesterday, Tavarez was officially anointed the Red Sox' No. 5 starter, the trickle-down effect of the team's declaration that Jonathan Papelbon will remain the team's closer. Last March 27, Tavarez was slapped with a 10-game suspension for a punch to the head of Tampa Bay's Joey Gathright that all but eliminated him from assuming a meaningful role with the club.

But Tavarez, who ended last season with an unexpectedly strong run as a starter, will get his chance to reprise that role, at least until lefty Jon Lester is fully recovered from his bout with cancer or Kyle Snyder mounts a challenge. Inserted in the rotation Aug. 31, one of 14 starters the Sox employed last season after injuries to David Wells, Matt Clement, and Tim Wakefield skewered their plans, Tavarez went unbeaten in six starts, going 3-0 with a 4.01 ERA, and even tossed a complete game. The sinkerball specialist -- he gets 2.23 ground balls for every fly ball he gives up -- even won over a fan base that had not taken to his erratic ways earlier in the season.

"He was fine," manager Terry Francona said of Tavarez's reaction to the news. "He likes to pitch. He likes to start. He just wants the ball. He says, 'Tell me when.' "

The Sox rotation lines up this way, Francona said: Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Tavarez. Francona did not say when Tavarez will throw next, but he will pitch next Friday in Philadelphia, with Matsuzaka going the next day.

Tavarez will also throw a simulated game in Kansas City April 2, the day after the regular-season opener against the Royals.

Francona would not divulge what the team's plans are for Lester, who has made an impressive recovery from a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, other than to rule out a stay in extended spring training.

Wakefield threw six innings yesterday in a 4-4 tie with the Phillies, giving up a two-run home run to Chase Utley in the first but allowing just one unearned run thereafter. Tavarez, meanwhile, pitched in minor league camp and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk, striking out four.

"I still like our starting rotation," said general manager Theo Epstein, who endorsed the placement of Tavarez at the back end. "Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Wakefield, those four components remain the same. Julian Tavarez did very well in that role late last year.

"He got on a roll, and he deserves the opportunity to start.

"I think we have some significant depth. There's Kyle Snyder, and Jon Lester is just getting stretched out. Kason Gabbard, Devern Hansack, David Pauley."

Wily Mo Peña (solo shot) and Kevin Youkilis (three-run job) hit home runs, Peña off the roof of Frenchy's, the restaurant-bar in left field, while Youkilis cleared it. Both home runs came off Jamie Moyer . . . Wakefield said he would like to throw in the neighborhood of 100 pitches in his next start. He has shown no ill effects from last season's stress fracture in his rib cage, the cause of which he has not been able to pinpoint. "It's in my back, about an inch off my spine, where the rib attaches to the spine, about an inch off of that. They told me it will probably take a long time to heal. For example, if they took a bone scan now, it would probably show a stress fracture. But it feels fine." . . . With the Orioles throwing a lefty today, Coco Crisp (shoulder) will not start for the Sox, Francona said. Crisp is scheduled to play tomorrow against the Devil Rays . . . Manny Ramírez did not play here yesterday after all. "He called me last night and told me he changed his mind," Francona said . . . The Manny grill has been taken off eBay. The auction website removed it because Ramírez could not be verified as its owner and the listing violated company policy.

Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com.