Toronto Blue Jays (42-44) @ Boston Red Sox (49-35)
Brett Cecil (1-3, 7.24) @ Jon Lester (10-4, 3.43)
7:10PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
GAME NOTES
One day. Kevin Youkilis was out of the injury report for one day. Is there any player in all of Major League Baseball who takes more of a beating over the course of a season than Kevin Youkilis? Yesterday he was hit by a pitch on his upper back/shoulder, Sunday in Houston he was spiked sliding into home while scoring in the fourth. He has been hit by 9 pitches this year and 77 in his career, a Red Sox record. By my un-official tally that’s a ankle, shin, foot, and now back/shoulder injuries that Youkilis has been stricken with this season. He hasn’t spent any time on DL and I applaud his durability, but the Red Sox need him healthy for the long haul. Assuming the All-Star Break isn’t enough to heal his ailments, should the Red Sox DL Youkilis for 15 days for him to get healthy? Discuss in the comments.
INJURY REPORT
Toronto: Yunel Escobar, swollen left hand (day-to-day); Casey Janssen, sore right forearm (Placed on the 15-day DL June 16 ); Jesse Litsch, (Placed on the 15-day DL 5/20 )
Boston: Clay Buchholz, lower back strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 19, retroactive to June 17); Carl Crawford, strained left hamstring (Placed on the 15-day DL June 18); Jed Lowrie, right shoulder injury (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 17). Kevin Youkilis, bruised shoulder/back (day-to-day)
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Kevin Youkilis is the Red Sox career leader in HBP, but who holds the Red Sox single season record? Don Baylor. Baylor was hit by 35 pitches during the 1986 season on his way to 267 in his career, 4th all-time. Baylor was able to avoid the beanball for all of April 1986, but as soon as May hit so was he, twice on May 1 against the Mariners, both by Seattle started Bill Swift. Baylor had 687 PAs in 1986, meaning he was hit by a pitch in about 5% of his PAs. In his best season HBP wise Youkilis was hit by 16 in 588 PAs or only 2.7% of the time.
Line-ups will be posted in the comment when they are available, feel free to add them if they aren’t there.