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| Sean Casey was activated from the 15-day DL on Friday according to the Providence Journal. However, despite first baseman Kevin Youkilis' unavailability, Casey is not starting. He will be available to pinch hit. He was on the disabled list due to a bad neck. |
Our View: If Youkilis' injury (back) is serious, Casey would be the likely choice to start at first base. He is hitting .345 in 59 games this season. Mark Kotsay has started at the position recently. |
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| J.D. Drew will take batting practice and shag flyballs on Friday. He has not played since August 17th due to a herniated disc. The Providence Journal reports that he hopes to be back in three to four days. |
Our View: Not so fast. Drew has been known to drag out his recovery time and there's no reason to expect him back so soon. However, we expect his standard production once he does return to the lineup. It's unlikely he would ever play at anything less than 100%. |
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| The AP reports that Josh Beckett has been activated from the DL and will start Friday's game at Texas. He is only expected to throw 60-75 pitches. He has been sidelined since August 17 with right shoulder inflammation. |
Our View: 2008 has been very average for the Boston ace, however we all know he tends to pitch better the bigger the games. With the Red Sox breathing down Tampa Bay's collective neck, expect Becket to start lowering his 4.34 ERA soon. |
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| Kevin Youkilis is not in the Red Sox lineup on Friday for the third straight game. He has a sore back but is not expected to land the disabled list. |
Our View: Mark Kotsay is starting in his place. Youk has been a fantasy force this season hitting .315 with 94 RBI. |
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| Mark Kotsay is starting at first base for the injured Kevin Youkilis (back) against the Rangers on Friday. He is also hitting clean up. He has played first just one other time this season. |
Our View: Kotsay certainly does not have the pop to hit fourth, but he has done well thus far in six appearances for the Red Sox. He is hitting .333 since moving to Boston. |
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| Mike Lowell is making his first appearance since August 12th on Friday against the Rangers. He had been out with a strained oblique. |
Our View: If Lowell was dropped in your league because of his injury, he is a good pickup for September. He is penciled in to hit sixth for the Sox which should give him plenty of RBI opportunities. |
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| Dustin Pedroia has been so hot of late that he is now being considered as a candidate for the AL MVP honor, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Pedroia is hitting .480 over the past two weeks with five home runs, but his hot streak goes back much further. Over the past 69 games, a span that covers 283 AB, Pedroia is hitting .396 with 12 home runs. With the injury to Ian Kinsler, Pedroia is the top fantasy second baseman in the American League, if not all of baseball. |
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| Coco Crisp has been on fire recently, and with his two hits on Wednesday, is now 11-for-24 in his last six games, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Crisp is a nice option in AL-only leagues, as his batting average was keeping him out of consideration for use. He can provide speed, and has 18 stolen bases on the year, and also a little pop from time to time, as he has seven home runs. |
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| Sean Casey's neck ailment is improving, and he may be able to return to the Red Sox on Friday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Casey has been taking fielding and batting practice, and if there are no setbacks, he'll be ready soon. Fantasy owners will not get a whole lot out of him, however, as in 165 at-bats, he has no home runs and just 12 RBI, despite his .345 average. |
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| Mark Kotsay hit a two-run triple in the eighth inning Wednesday, helping Boston squeak by the Orioles 5-4. |
Our View: As long as he receives consistent playing time, Kotsay should be fairly productive in the middle of Boston's lineup. |
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| AL batting leader Dustin Pedroia was 3-for-4 with a home run in the seventh inning Wednesday. His long ball triggered Boston’s comeback from a four-run deficit, as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4. |
Our View: Pedroia is scorching hot as he now 8-for-13 in his last three games, including two home runs and eight RBI. |
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| Kevin Youkilis was 50/50 to play today against Baltimore, and was scratched from the lineup, according to the AP. |
Our View: Mark Kotsay is covering first base in his absence. The Red Sox are off Thursday, so they opted to hold him out for an added day of rest. |
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| Kevin Youkilis is considered 50/50 to play in Wednesday's series finale against Baltimore, according to the Boston Globe. Manager Terry Francona said, "I don't know, I guess there's hope he would play, but we have a day off tomorrow. We'll see. I bet it's 50-50 at best. I don't know if it's a smart thing to do or not." |
Our View: He was scratched Tuesday after experiencing back spasms during the National Anthem. Jeff Bailey could make another start at first base Wednesday, if needed. |
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| J.D. Drew's back is feeling better, but still may be a ways from being activated from the DL, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He is making progress and took batting practice Tuesday, and should remain stashed on fantasy rosters. |
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| Josh Beckett remains on pace in his recovery from right elbow inflammation, and the Boston Globe reports he is expected to return this weekend against the Rangers. |
Our View: He worked a 58-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, and had good velocity on his throws. He will be on a short leash for his projected start Friday, around five innings or so. He doesn't need a rehab outing, but still needs to work up his endurance. |
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| The Boston Globe believes Bartolo Colon is on track to start one of the two games against Toronto September 13. |
Our View: Colon will make one more rehab start in the minors, likely Saturday for Pawtucket or Portland, both of which are in the playoffs. He is feeling good and believes everything is fine, regarding his recovery from a stiff back. |
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| The Boston Globe indicates that Mike Lowell remains on target in his recovery from a strained right oblique, and should return this weekend against the Rangers. |
Our View: He won't require a rehab game to get ready, and fantasy owners should be able to pencil him back into lineups for the new week. There is urgency in Boston to get him back, as the club needs to maintain their lead in the AL wildcard race. |
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| David Ortiz got on base four times, with three hits in three at-bats plus a walk in the Red Sox 14-2 beat down of the Orioles. He also hit two doubles and drove in four runs. |
Our View: Ortiz had seen his average drop below .250 on August 8, but has slowly raised it, and it now sits at .270, which should please fantasy owners. |
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| Dustin Pedroia helped fuel the Red Sox to a 14-2 win over the Orioles by going 3-for-5 with a double, home run and fiver RBI. |
Our View: MVP chatter is developing around the diminutive second baseman, and it is surely something people will have to consider after his recent tear. He has seven RBI so far in two September games. |
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| Jon Lester won his 13th game of the year, allowing one run in five innings, though he did walk four batters as the Red Sox slaughtered the Orioles, 14-2. |
Our View: Lester has been a steady presence in the Boston rotation the entire year, and his ERA dropped to 3.37. |
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| The Boston Globe made a big deal of the one year anniversary of Clay Buchholz's no-hitter, but did qualify the report with his recent progress on the farm. Buchholz struck out 10 in his last regular-season start at Double-A Portland, and he will make at least one start in the Eastern League playoffs. |
Our View: There is a chance that the right-hander could return to the big club this year, but much will have to do with his continued success. |
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| David Aardsma spent time Monday making throws from right field to third base in an attempt to judge how his ailing groin is progressing, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday. Barring a setback, he could return to Boston at some point in mid-September. |
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| Dustin Pedroia had another two hits on Monday leading to two RBI as he pushed his batting average up to .327 for the Red Sox. He also stole his 17th base. |
Our View: Pedroia now has a 6-game hitting streak during which time he has produced 15 hits. Since the start of June, a span of 76 games, Pedroia is batting a robust .362. |
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| Paul Byrd improved to 3-1 with the Red Sox as he picked up his 10th victory of the year overall by lasting seven innings against the Orioles. |
Our View: Byrd allowed four runs on the night despite being taken deep three times as he continues to pitch well enough to allow the big Boston bats to bash their way to victory. |
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| Updating an earlier report, Kevin Youkilis is back in the lineup after missing the previous two games due to the flu, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: Youkilis continues his push for his first 25-HR, 100 RBI season tonight, he currently has 24 home runs and 94 RBI, and with a big final month he could even score 100 runs (he currently has 82). |
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| Bartolo Colon (back) hurled six innings of four hit ball for the Red Sox on Monday, according to the Boston Herald. Colon allowed one run in the outing though he only struck out one batter. |
Our View: The team would like Colon to make one more appearance in the minors before being activated to help the club with their playoff push down the stretch. |
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| J.D. Drew took indoor batting practice on Monday, the first time he has been in the cage since August 17th because of back pain, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: While this is certainly a positive step, there is still no word on when Drew will be activated and return to the starting lineup. |
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| Updating an earlier story, Mike Lowell took batting practice for the first time on Monday since suffering his left oblique injury and he sounded optimistic that he will be able to return shortly, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Lowell is targeting the Red Sox series with the Rangers this weekend for a return, though he will likely need to have a couple of solid batting practice sessions to make his return this weekend a reality. |
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| The Red Sox do not know if first baseman Kevin Youkilis will be able to play on Monday when the team takes on Baltimore, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Youkilis has been out with flu-like symptoms for two days, and Jeff Bailey has taken his place in the lineup both days. |
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| Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will likely take batting practice on Monday as he continues his rehab from an oblique strain, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: No firm date on when Lowell will return, but it should not be too long. He has provided fantasy owners with 14 home runs and 67 RBI in 101 games this season. |
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| Bartolo Colon will make another rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, and the Red Sox may be looking at him to make a start on September 13 when Boston plays a doubleheader with the Blue Jays. |
Our View: Colon has been good in the minors, going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA while walking only five in 25.2 innings. He could be a nice addition to AL-only teams who need a shot in the arm. |
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| Boston hurler Josh Beckett played catch on Sunday in the Red Sox outfield, and the team thinks he will be able to pitch on Friday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Beckett has been dealing with right elbow inflammation, but is feeling better, and it looks like he will be able to throw again. Despite his relatively disappointing season, he still offers fantasy owners a solid WHIP and good number of strikeouts. |
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