Health updates

Josh Beckett went out this morning and threw a bullpen session. That's a good sign for his recovery from the stiff neck that prevented him from starting on Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona had said that Beckett would need to throw a side either today or tomorrow to keep him on track to start on Sunday. That's done, so it would seem to look good for Beckett to start against the Rays.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, though, might not be on that trip. He's being examined by doctors this morning to determine how contagious he is. It seems to be more likely than not that Matsuzaka will be kept in Boston while the Red Sox head down to Tampa tonight, since he's not scheduled to pitch on the trip.

Manny Delcarmen said he felt better this morning, but the team still needs to see him do some work this morning to determine his availability. Jason Varitek left last night thinking he might be ready to play late in tonight's game, but Francona said he still isn't entirely sure that that's a definite.