Beckett had hip woes, too

TORONTO - It didn't take long for Josh Beckett to realize his back wasn't the only problem resulting from a slip on the mound during his first warm-up toss before his third spring training outing, a slip that landed him on the disabled list. His back spasms masked another issue: his right hip.

So the Red Sox righthander was not only working through the back problems in Fort Myers, Fla., while his teammates went to Japan and Los Angeles and Oakland, he was also regaining strength in the hip. He will make his 2008 debut tomorrow when he faces the Blue Jays.

"Everything was day to day," Beckett said. "After the first week, my back really responded to the treatment, and once we got rid of the back spasms, basically what we had to do was just strengthen my hip. That's kind of where the problem lied. I think the back spasms were just more of protecting my hip. Once we got that strong, then it was just kind of a building-up process. We're still kind of in that.

"We kind of realized that after my first intense throwing session. We started getting that because my back wasn't bothering me, then it was the hip. Once we got the hip to where I could throw every day, throw bullpens, then it was just getting into games and building up."

Beckett will be part of a matchup of aces when he opposes Roy Halladay after being activated tomorrow. He rejoined the team yesterday after throwing five innings in a minor league camp game Tuesday and a side session in Fort Myers Thursday.

Beckett, the only 20-game winner in the majors in 2007, had been away from his teammates since they left for Japan March 19. He's glad to be back, though not entirely glad he wasn't in Tokyo.

"I have mixed feelings about it," he said. "I never want to be away from my teammates, especially not if they're having to go on that trip and I'm not. But from what I hear, it was pretty tough on some of the guys. I don't think anybody would have suggested me to go on that trip with what we thought was still a back problem.

"I think that we made the right decision."

Biding their time

Bartolo Colon and Mike Timlin are expected to be with Pawtucket for the time being. Coming back from arm problems, Colon threw 74 pitches in the season opener Thursday and received positive reports after allowing one hit and no runs while striking out five in five innings. Manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell spoke with Colon yesterday and discussed the plan for his progression: 85 pitches in his next start, then about 100. Francona said the goal is to have him join the Sox as soon as he's ready. Timlin threw 35 pitches in Rogers Centre Thursday without any trouble. He will throw 35 more today before beginning a rehab stint with Pawtucket Monday. It's likely his stay in Triple A will last two outings, though that depends on how he recovers from a cut on the ring finger of his pitching hand that required stitches . . . With Colon, Timlin, and Beckett destined for the roster, the Sox must make some bullpen decisions. It's likely that the candidates for demotion are out of options, including Bryan Corey, David Aardsma, Kyle Snyder, and Javier Lopez. "In the next week, we'll have two, with Beckett and Timlin, and they're going to be difficult," Francona said. "There's going to be a boatload of factors. It's not just if somebody gave up a run in a game. We're always trying to make our ball club better for now and for the long term. I think we have a pretty good handle on our guys, just there are some instances where there's not a lot of flexibility because of the team that's in place. That's part of having some veterans."

Come back any time

Frank Thomas must enjoy Red Sox visits - or at least those games started by Tim Wakefield. Before his game-winning double last night (though it was against Manny Delcarmen), Thomas's last appearance in a game started by the knuckleballer was here Sept. 17, when the Blue Jays DH recorded the second three-homer game of his career. Two of the homers came against Wakefield, the other against Kyle Snyder . . . Francona said he couldn't see the play on which Jacoby Ellsbury dropped a fly ball because of the lit screen on the left-center-field wall. The rookie had the ball in his glove, but lost it as he took a couple of steps . . . Dustin Pedroia got spiked at second base in the sixth inning. Francona and the training staff came out to check on him, thinking it might have been his back, but he stayed in the game . . . With two outs in the ninth and Mike Lowell at the plate, two fans ran onto the field. Both were placed in handcuffs.

Wealthy, healthy

Giving new deals to Alex Rios (six years, $64 million) and Aaron Hill (four years, $12 million, with three option years), the Blue Jays locked up some of their young talent for the foreseeable future. But that's not the only reason Francona praised the Red Sox' American League East rivals before last night's game. "They're very talented and very good," he said. "If their pitching is healthy, they're a team to contend with, which we knew, for the long haul. I think what they went through last year was a little bit of what we went through at the end of '06. They got so many injuries they couldn't do things they wanted to. I think they ended up being forced to stay with some people because of their injuries and they ended up getting some good news." . . . Francona said he'd like to use Sean Casey during the series. Today might be the game . . . Last night's game started at 7:25 after ceremonies (with fireworks) to induct Roberto Alomar and Paul Beeston into the Blue Jays' Level of Excellence. The fireworks left a haze on the field for the early innings . . . The Blue Jays wore their powder blue uniforms.