Like players, Epstein is digging down deep

Theo Epstein has been busy this season. Not drafting his next crop of future big leaguers, or wading through trade possibilities that might come alive around the deadline, though he's done those things. No, the Red Sox general manager has been kept on his toes just dealing with all of the injuries and roster moves he's been forced to make with the big league club.

While the Red Sox had just eight players and nine disabled list stints in 2007 - including the season-long stint of Matt Clement and the season-ending one of Brendan Donnelly - they already have had 10 players go on the DL in 2008. That includes Curt Schilling, as well as some of the other top players on the team, such as Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, David Ortiz, and Mike Lowell.

And that doesn't count all the maladies that haven't landed players on the disabled list, like the flu bug that decimated the pitching staff and Jason Varitek, and Jacoby Ellsbury's current right wrist strain.

Justin Masterson is undefeated in four starts with the major league team after being plucked from Double A. J.D. Drew is tearing up opposing pitching, hitting in the No. 3 spot vacated by Ortiz when he went down with a torn tendon sheath in his wrist. Sean Casey is hitting .372 with a .426 on-base percentage in limited duty as a replacement for both Lowell and Kevin Youkilis. Bartolo Colon (three wins in four starts) and Brandon Moss (two homers in 30 at-bats, including a huge one in Tokyo) haven't done badly, either.

It's partly because of these players - backups and minor leaguers and players with question marks - that the Red Sox have been able to thrive, even amid circumstances that might prove crippling to other teams. The Red Sox remain atop the American League East, though their lead over the Rays is narrow, and they have the best home record in the majors.

"I don't think the other teams particularly care if we get beat up," said manager Terry Francona. "I know we don't root for injuries on other teams, but when their guys are out, we're supposed to try to take advantage of it.

"We have good depth. We've been fortunate, the timing of things. One guy's taken over. We have guys that have the ability to play every day. And then something else happens, somebody else takes over. We've mixed and matched. Because of our outfielders' versatility, one guy goes from center to left to right.

"It hasn't seemed to get in the way a whole lot. There's been stretches where we haven't played real well or hit real well or pitched real well. I don't think that's because of injuries, just that's part of the way the game is."

Start times changed

Because of the NBA Finals, the Red Sox have moved the start times of games tonight and Thursday against the Orioles to 6:05 p.m. Tomorrow's game will remain at 7:05 p.m. The Sox similarly changed the start time of last Thursday's game - better known as the brawl against the Rays - to accommodate Game 1 of the Finals. Gates will open at 4:05 p.m. on both today and Thursday . . . Ellsbury took batting practice in the cage at Fenway Park yesterday, on the Red Sox' day off. He reported no problems, but he will be reevaluated today. Both Ellsbury and Francona had said Sunday there was a chance he could play tonight.

Gaining ground

Matsuzaka played catch up to 180 feet yesterday, making between 60 and 70 throws. He will play catch today, then will throw a bullpen session tomorrow as he works to come back from the strained rotator cuff that landed him on the disabled list . . . Beckett, Colon, Masterson, and Manny Ramírez were among those working out yesterday at Fenway . . . The Red Sox have won six straight series at home, and nine of 10 . . . The Red Sox bullpen has turned it around, allowing just seven runs in its last 39 1/3 innings over 11 games. The relievers have a 2.80 ERA over the last 39 games, lowering their collective ERA from 5.42 to 3.86.