News and notes

But back to the news that currently affects the team...

Mark Kotsay is back in the lineup after Aaron Bates started the last two days. Kotsay was recovering from some tightness that he started experiencing in his calf last week, as it tightened up on him during last Wednesday's game in Baltimore, a hold-over from the injury he suffered during his rehab from back surgery.

Jed Lowrie -- who apparently brings bad luck with him during this rehab stint -- is heading to Lowell to try to at least get a couple of at bats in tonight. He was rained out in Portland last night, and can't seem to buy a break. While Lowrie's rehab stint ends on Friday, the Sox do have other avenues. He does have options, and the team could send him down to the minors to finish out a "rehab."

Daisuke Matsuzaka is working out in Fort Myers, Fla., right now. According to Terry Francona, he's doing well. But he's not doing much, at least in terms of throwing. For now, Matsuzaka is just throwing on flat ground up to 60 feet.

"We're going to get him stronger before we turn him loose," Francona said. "He's done a really good job. ... His first day down there he did the shuttle. That was the stuff he missed when he was in the WBC. If you think about it, you go down to Fort Myers in the middle of July at 7:30 in the morning and the first day you run the shuttle twice and the second day you run the mile and a half.

"He did a good job. We were really proud of his effort and he put in another great effort today. I can think of more fun things to do than run a mile and a half in Fort Myers at 7:30 in the morning by yourself."