August 25, 2006

Under The Knife

Pint-Sized UTK

by Will Carroll

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Some quick hits, newsletter style. Powered by a multi-hour delay in Washington Dulles, here are today's injuries:

• Manny Ramirez had an MRI on his right knee. The official diagnosis was patellar tendinitis, meaning that the Sox can focus on reducing the pain and inflammation.

• The irregular heartbeat that put David Ortiz in the hospital last week? No big deal, according to every source I could find.

• Don't be surprised to see Jason Varitek go on a rehab assignment. With minor league seasons almost over, the Sox catcher will have only a couple games, which is all he really needs. He looks on target to return before September 1.

• Josh Beckett left Thursday's start with a cut on his finger, not a blister. How he feels at his normal between-start side session will determine whether he can make his next start.

• Tim Wakefield had a successful session throwing from the mound. Sources say that he could be activated next week.

• Eddie Guardado will begin throwing again, his first time since hitting the DL. His availability is going to be based on pain tolerance--Guardado's never going to be 100% this season, but he's the type of guy who'll push himself beyond the normal breaking point for a chance at the postseason.

• Tom Glavine is scheduled to throw in the pen on Saturday. That's a very good sign.

• Hideki Matsui is making small steps towards a return. He made it through hitting off a tee just fine. Live pitching is next, followed by an abbreviated rehab stint in Double-A Trenton. The Yanks are hoping that the Thunder makes the playoffs to give Matsui more time if needed.

• Doug Mientkiewicz will have his season ended by back surgery. He's having a microdiscectomy and should be ready for spring training without much problem.

• Damian Miller left Thursday's game with a concussion. Given the scary post-concussive injuries we've seen this year, it's good to see baseball begin to take concussions seriously.

• Jim Thome will miss the weekend, but not hit the DL, with his strained hamstring. With roster expansion coming up on September 1, the team will get roster relief soon enough. The Sox have been very smart with their use of Thome (as well as Jermaine Dye, among others) in large part because they understand how to evaluate health.