Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

July 18, 2012

Red Sox Notebook: No tear, rupture in Papi's Achilles

From news service reports

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz said MRI results revealed no tear or rupturing in his Achilles tendon.

Ortiz, wearing a protective boot Tuesday night, was out of the lineup against the Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox planned to wait another few days before deciding whether to put him on the disabled list.

Ortiz felt pain while rounding second base Monday night on Adrian Gonzalez's three-run homer in the eighth inning. He had an MRI Tuesday morning.

Ortiz plans to get a second opinion today or Thursday.

Ortiz says he's sore, but it is not in the same area where he had bursitis in his heel last August and missed nine games.

FRANKLIN MORALES was informed he will return to the bullpen effective immediately, as the Sox trim their rotation from six starters to the customary five.

According to pitching coach Bob McClure, the decision was two-fold: a) Morales is left-handed, and presently, the Red Sox have only one lefty reliever (Andrew Miller); b) Morales is younger and therefore more resilient than right-hander Aaron Cook and has more experience coming out of the bullpen.

And so, Morales exits the rotation despite going 2-1 with a 3.25 ERA, 33 strikeouts and only eight walks in 272/3 innings over five starts.

"It's a hard decision, but that's the way baseball is sometimes," McClure said.

"He's got a long career ahead of him. He wants to start. We know that. He's 26, and we think he's got a future in it."

Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz are starting staples, while left-hander Felix Doubront generally has been effective near the back of the rotation.

Cook, 33, has made only one relief appearance since 2003 and was a starter for nearly a decade with the Colorado Rockies.

He's 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings since coming off the DL in June 24.

 

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