Sox pregame: Beckett expected to make next start vs. ChiSox

NEW YORK -- Josh Beckett, who had been shelved after being hampered by a tingling feeling in the fingers of his right throwing arm in his last outing (2.1 innings, 8 hits, 8 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts) Aug. 17 vs. the Blue Jays, threw a side session today at Yankee Stadium that convinced Sox manager Terry Francona his ace would be available to take his next turn in the rotation against the White Sox Friday at Fenway Park.

"Beckett threw a side and did really well," Francona told reporters during his pregame news conference. "He threw 50 pitches and he was strong and he's ready to go Friday. I'm excited, and because he's excited so are we."

Francona reported Beckett, "did a real good flat-ground [session] and had a really good bullpen and he's all set to go."

Asked if Beckett was pain-free, tingle-free, Francona replied, "Yes, we wouldn't let him throw a side until he was symptom free."

Was there any particular need to see how he will be Wednesday?

"We'll always check with everybody, but we're pretty comfortable that he's ready to go," Francona said. "He probably could've pitched the other day, but we always try to do things the right way, even when it's not easy to do. I think we're real comfortable backing him up, because now he can go out and pitch and not think about it and go out and compete."

Francona wasn't as encouraged with J.D. Drew (back), who saw a spine specialist this morning in New York and appeared headed for the disabled list. As a precaution, the Sox brought along Joe Thurston to New York.

"Obviously, you saw we have Thurston here and there's a pretty good chance that we're going to activate Thurston for this game," he said.

Francona expected to make an announcement on that before the game. We'll bring it to you when it happens. Earlier in the afternoon, the Sox announced they had optioned Chris Smith to Pawtucket. As reported by Amalie Benjamin, Smith was optioned, but Thurston took his spot on the 25-man roster. Thurston was purchased from Pawtucket, and was also placed on the 40-man roster. To make room on the 40-man, Bartolo Colon was moved to the 60-day disabled list.

On the Mike Lowell front, Francona lit up and said, "Mikey's doing real well. He did a bunch of core work today and had a strengthening exam with the trainers. He won't hit today. But if everything goes like they think it will, he'll hit off the tee tomorrow. He's doing very well."

Francona declined to place a timetable on Lowell's return from his oblique injury, but he did indicate the injury was confined to his oblique and was not related to a nagging hip injury Lowell has battled through this season.

"Yes, I think that hip is going to be sore from time to time, just because he has that condition, but that's never stopped him from playing, or playing well," Francona said. "We just need to get rid of this oblique."

With this three-game set against the Yankees likely to loom large in the Sox' postseason hopes, Francona was not about to wax nostalgic on this trip being his last to the venerable House That Ruth Built.

"I don't think we allow ourselves to get caught up in that," Francona said. "What makes this place so special I don't think is the building, it's what happened in this stadium. There's so many great players and great teams that have come through here. That's what makes this place so special.

"Any team can erect monuments, but the reason those monuments are up is because they're great players, that's no secret," Francona added. "But we're moving what, a hundred yards? The only difference from where I sit is that their payroll will go up a bunch more and make it harder for us."

Jeff Bailey was inserted into lineup in place of Sean Casey, who reported no ill effects from the stiff neck that bothered him at Toronto. Francona opted for Bailey because Casey "hasn't picked up a bat in five days," he said. "Even though his numbers are really good, for a guy who hasn't picked up a bat in four or five days, you're probably not going to see the hitter you're looking for."

Paul Byrd weighed in on the implementation of instant replay in Friday's games.

"I think it'll be good," he said. "As long as it doesn't make the game go too slow, I think it's good. There have been some tough calls this year and there's always going to be tough calls. Guys are having enough trouble calling outs on the bases and strikes and this and that, so to make a call about 100 feet away after someone smokes the ball off the wall, I think it's a good thing."

Asked if he had any concerns about replays lengthening already lengthy games, Byrd replied, "Yeah, I think so. It's going to be weird, `Hey, let's take a timeout, throw the red flag, and go review it [like in the NFL].' That's going to be weird. I think that's a situation that's needed, especially if I get blown up and it's not really a home run."