Beckett aces all his tests
Red Sox manager Terry Francona yesterday allayed concerns about Josh Beckett's right elbow inflammation when he used the word "awesome" to describe the results of the pitcher's examination by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla.
"I don't know that [Andrews] used that word," Francona said. "Everything was clean, a number of tests, and Josh came through it with flying colors, which I think was what we certainly hoped."
Despite being buoyed by Beckett's test results, the Sox placed him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 18. There was, however, no reason to be alarmed by the move. It was rather a procedural matter aimed at trying to get Beckett back on the mound for next Friday's opener of a three-game set in Texas.
After the Sox suffered a 3-2 loss in their final regular-season game at Yankee Stadium Thursday, general manager Theo Epstein announced Beckett would be examined by Andrews, leading to concerns that Beckett, who looked to be improving after throwing a 50-pitch side session Tuesday, might be suffering from more than just tingling in his right ring and pinkie fingers.
"As I said [Thursday], he was improving, it was just less than 100 percent," Epstein said yesterday. "Sure, there was concern, but we were optimistic. Today we got great news and it's a relief, even though we weren't completely panicked.
"To get reassurance is good news and a big relief."
Asked if there was any indication what had plagued Beckett, Epstein replied, "I'm not a doctor, but the best guess was sort of a slightly irritated nerve that was exacerbated by sleeping funny on it and pitching through it. There's nothing structural at all. It's a very healthy elbow - ligament and nerve."
That's the reassurance Beckett, who feared his condition could lead to Tommy John surgery, wanted from Andrews.
"It was a big relief," said Beckett, who was accompanied by assistant trainer Mike Reinold to Pensacola. "We put it off because everybody is scared at some point, both me and the organization. I just wanted to - and not that I think Dr. Andrews is a clown, because there's no one that I respect more - but I just wanted to hear it from the clown's mouth, as the saying goes.
"He said my ligament looked fine," Beckett added. "That's what I was afraid of. I know a lot of guys have come back from it, but Tommy John surgery, that's what I was afraid of."
Andrews put those fears to rest.
"We just needed to, as Theo stated yesterday, kind of get some closure," Francona said. "When Josh threw the other day, I got so excited about the way he threw the ball. As we visited with him a little more as the week progressed, he just had that look in his eye, so we kind of kept pushing him, pushing him, and pushing him, and we all felt like this was the best thing to do.
"I don't mean to sound flippant about it, because I certainly wasn't, but I didn't think anything was wrong with him. We're just trying to take care of him. He's a big part of our present and our future, but I think we'd feel that way about anybody. It was the right thing to do."
Casey on DL, too
The Sox also placed Sean Casey (strained neck) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Aug. 20. The first baseman underwent an MRI and was still awaiting the results before last night's game.
Asked if this injury was worse than the one he suffered during the team's season-opening trip to Tokyo, Casey replied, "It's lasted longer, but it's the same kind of symptoms.
"I just can't rotate [my head] to the side I hit off, and when I lift my arms, it's right here," he added, rubbing the left side of his neck. "But it gets a little bit better every day. I think it'll be one of those things where one morning you wake up and you go, 'Oh, it feels good.' "
Right fielder J.D. Drew, who was placed on the 15-day DL Tuesday with back spasms, reported feeling better after he received an epidural Thursday.
"It wasn't bad at all," he said. "It takes about a day. I had it yesterday morning, so I'm feeling better today."
Ross catches on
To replace Beckett on the roster, the Sox purchased the contract of 31-year-old catcher David Ross from Pawtucket. Shortstop Julio Lugo was transferred from the 15- to the 60-day DL. Ross, who donned No. 28, batted .250 with a homer and three RBIs in six games with the PawSox, including three starts at DH, since being signed as a free agent Aug. 22. "These guys have been nothing but nice to me so far, class act kind of people I've dealt with," said Ross, who played with Jason Bay in Pittsburgh . . . Center fielder Coco Crisp was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Crisp, who had been scheduled to hit seventh, was replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury, who made a spectacular diving stab of Orlando Cabrera's scorched liner on the first pitch of the game . . . With Ellsbury (Falmouth, 2004) in center, Bay (Chatham, '99) in left, and Mark Kostay (Bourne, '94) in right, the Sox went with an outfield comprised entirely of Cape Cod League graduates . . . The shutout was Boston's 13th of the season and sixth at Fenway, with Daisuke Matsuzaka, who matched a season high with his eight innings pitched, getting the decision in three of them . . . Before his fifth-inning single, Kevin Youkilis had been 0 for 13 vs. Javier Vazquez . . . Closer Jonathan Papelbon circulated some blue T-shirts that read "Cinco Ocho . . . He don't know how he do" on the front, and "He just do" on the back. No word on whether Papelbon was going to follow the lead of Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson, who officially had his last name changed to "Ocho Cinco," according to reports. 