Lowell's shot, Tito's batting order
After third baseman Mike Lowell received his Synvisc injection in his right hip this afternoon in Boston, the Red Sox are in a "waiting mode" in regards to Lowell's playing status, manager Terry Francona said. Before the shot, Lowell had "about 15 CCs of fluid taken out," Francona said. "Which for a hip is pretty extensive." Francona was optimistic the fluid draining would help Lowell feel more comfortable. Lowell will do some therapy with trainer Scott Waugh tomorrow, and he'll stay in Boston until the Red Sox come back from Baltimore.
So that's the plan. What comes next? Lowell has already spoken to Theo Epstein and had "pretty extensive conversations" with Francona.
"Worst-case scenario, he goes on the DL," Francona said. "Just to buy us a couple weeks where he can kind of get a second wind for the second part of the season. We can also wait a few days, and then just let him play. That's OK, too. We're just kind of in a waiting mode. We'll see. I think we have the ability to wait a couple days."
As for players in Baltimore, two of them had to do a quick doubletake at the lineup this afternoon. J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia swapped the second and first spots, which, as Francona said, is "not the biggest deal in the world." The move is not a reaction to the Red Sox scoring only six runs in their weekend series against the Braves. Francona wants to get Pedroia out of the leadoff spot, where he's hit since Jacoby Ellsbury was moved down May 31.
Batting first this season, Pedroia is batting .214 with a .264 on-base percentage. Pedroia is "too conscientious," Francona said, and he didn't mean that in a bad way. When Pedroia hits leadoff, he changes his approach, working the count like a leadoff hitter should.
Since May 31, when Pedroia first batted leadoff, he has seen 3.94 pitches per plate appearance. Before, he had seen 3.78 pitches per plate appearance. (For an idea of how much that matters, Pedroia's leadoff rate ranks 70th in the AL over that span. His pre-leadoff rate ranked outside the top 100 in the AL during that time.)
"The last thing I want guys to do when we move them is change," Francona said. "I don't if he has the ability. He sees himself hitting first, and he wants to do the right thing. He's getting himself in a hole in the count.
"He wasn't complaining. He goes, 'I'm fine.' I think Pedey is trying too hard to do the right thing. We just want him to be himself."
In his one game at leadoff this year, Drew went 1 for 4 with a single. Francona did not consider moving Ellsbury back to the leadoff spot. Down the road, Ellsbury might be the best leadoff option. Right now, with this team, he's not. The Sox are 15-7 when Ellsbury plays and doesn't bat leadoff.
"That was the other thing Pedey said," Francona said. " 'He goes, 'We're winning.' I said, 'If it's bothering you, why don't you tell me?' He goes, '[expletive], we're winning.' That's Pedey. That's we love him. He cares more about winning than himself. I believe that."
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If Lowell doesn't respond, this might be the one time you trade Buchholz. You use him as the main chip in a trade for a power hitting corner infielder. I think Lowell is not going to maintain the pace he kept for the first two months. Let's see how the Red Sox play these chips. Do they trade or stand pat? Fold?
Again we're reminded that, had the Sox gotten Tex, they would NOT have traded Lowell. Instead, they would have anticipated playing time for all 3 corner infielders, precisely because of Lowell's difficulty in recovering from surgery. Other teams would have been leery (and rightly so) of trading for an older player recovering from surgery anyway, so they would have kept him for that reason as well.
Leadoff: I have no big problem with Drew there, but if we're experimenting, why not experiment with Green in that spot? Let's try to find someone who'll thrive as a leadoff guy. With Drew, we already know he's a streaky hitter no matter where you put him. But when he's on, he has power, so you want to slot him lower.
Nice to see Adam back on this page.
Is Jed Lowrie a viable option at 3rd if Lowell is down for a significant amount of time? I know Lowrie is not quite ready to come back, but right now I don't think he's a better SS than Nick Green, who seemed to need just a little time to settle at the position and is now playing a pretty good SS.
I wouldn"t trade Buckholtz no matter what. Trade Penney and let Smoltz retire and bring Buck. up. What is it with the Sox brass that they are always trying to rethread ( like a bald tire) these old, over the hill pitchers? E.G. penney and Smoltz this week!!!
Jake the reason the Sox try to "rethread" old pitchers is because it is low risk and high reward. Have you been watching Penny over the last few weeks? He has been solid. Easy on rushing to judgment with Smoltz. It was his first game back and after his first inning he looked good. No one knows what Buck will do we he comes up. Will he be the kid who threw a no hitter or will he be the pitcher who had an ERA over 5 last year. There is no need to do anything with this team yet. Kotsay at first and Youk at third will be fine until they know what is going on with Lowell.
Smoltz will be fine tommorow,just watch.Lowell will struggle late in the year with his hip much like last season.Theo should be kicked for not signing more depth at bargain basement prices during the hot stove period.When push comes to shove,Green will be a better choice for third base with that cannon arm;shortstop is not even his natural position........
Stay tuned for more updates from your faithful jr.cub reporter..etc.etc....
Don't get dooped with Penny. He's been a bad imitation of Dice K. He gets hit very hard, does not get deep into games and drives me nuts by slowing down the game. Remember Dice K had the most deceptive 18 win season last year. Penny got hit very hard Sunday but was lucky with foul balls that should have been homers and the Braves just happend to hit the ball right at us.
He is not someone you can count on going into the playoffs. Can you imagine him at Yankee Stadium in October going to pieces and throwing 100 pitches in 5 innings. No way.
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