Lester remains on the farm

JON LESTER: "Strong side session"

Jon Lester had what was described as a "strong side session" yesterday at Fenway in front of pitching coach John Farrell and manager Terry Francona. The Red Sox wanted to watch him throw and then map out a plan for the foreseeable future.

After a conversation among Farrell, Francona, and general manager Theo Epstein, it was decided to option Lester to Pawtucket, where he'll start Friday vs. Richmond at McCoy Stadium.

The Sox could have kept Lester on his 30-day rehab assignment for one more start.

The plan is to get him up to the majors as soon as he shows he's ready, which could be after as few as two more starts. The Sox were very upbeat yesterday about Lester, who had a tough outing Saturday for the PawSox, lasting only 2 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on five hits.

While Lester's first of seven rehab starts was set back because of forearm cramping, there were no physical ailments that contributed to the poor outing Saturday.

As Lester's relaunch gets closer, it can't be easy being Julian Tavarez, whose spot Lester will eventually take in the rotation. Every time he starts a game, he must feel as if it could be his last.

On Saturday night, the night Lester struggled, Tavarez gave the Sox six strong innings in Arizona: three runs, five hits, five strikeouts. He even had fun with the bat, reaching in the second inning on a bunt single that Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson couldn't handle.

He also walked in the fifth. Not bad for a guy who hadn't swung a bat since 2003.

Francona said this weekend that he's not aware of many pitchers who can work out of the bullpen and be ready quickly to convert to the rotation, but Tavarez was certainly one of them.

You can argue about whether experienced professionals such as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima should be eligible for Rookie of the Year. But with those two pitchers and Dustin Pedroia, the Sox have three first-year major leaguers making an impact.

For a while, Pedroia seemed the longest of shots to even be considered for the award, but he has opened some eyes.

Over a 26-game stretch, Pedroia raised his average from .172 to .319, hitting .419 in that span. He's currently at .316 and has made only two errors. He and Tampa Bay shortstop Brendan Harris (.316, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs) are the top rookie infielders in the AL.

"I'm just playing my game right now," Pedroia said. "I'm not doing anything different. I'm seeing the ball well and making contact. That's my game -- getting on base."

Okajima has the second-best ERA among relievers at 1.14 and is 2-0 with four saves. If you ask baseball people the biggest reason the Red Sox are in first place, they will tell you it's Okajima, a real find.

Matsuzaka pitched two decent games on the most recent road trip but had nothing to show for it. His record is 7-5 with a 4.52 ERA, and 85 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. He may still be the favorite to win the award when all is said and done.

Many Red Sox are happy to be home, where they can use their complete team, including the DH. Kevin Youkilis, who is from a National League city, Cincinnati, and grew up a Reds fan, said, "Interleague in the National League city is really a disadvantage for us because we're built to have that big hitter in our lineup. When we play the National League, one of our big hitters has to sit and David [Ortiz] has to play first. David can play first very well, but it's not something he's used to doing, so you're making players do things they're not used to doing." An underappreciated thing about Youkilis is his ability to switch to third base when Mike Lowell needs a day off. Youkilis works with infield coach Luis Alicea on those days, even though he is an experienced third baseman . . . His .213 average and .274 on-base percentage can't be making the Sox very happy, so let's see if Julio Lugo gets dropped in the order on the homestand. Alex Cora might see a game or two at shortstop, but Francona will likely do what he did with J.D. Drew -- be patient and wait for Lugo to come out of his funk . . . It was quiet around the ballpark yesterday. Most players enjoyed their day off away from Fenway after a road trip to Oakland and Phoenix that Youkilis said was exhausting.