Injuries striking Red Sox left and right

Do the Red Sox have another curse on their hands? Two separate Boston players have had bouts with cancer. David Ortiz had heart problems a few years ago. (Click 'Read More' below or click the headline to see the rest of the article.)

AL East Sleepers: Boston Red Sox

As the hometown team boasts one of the strongest starting nine in the American League, it can be difficult to detect sleepers among the pack. Don’t be fooled, however. They are there and prepped to support an elite cast looking to avenge last season’s early playoff exit. Though few of the positional starters offer much potential as true "sleepers", considering the number of All-Stars and MVP candidates among them, the pitching staff contributes much of the excitement on this front. With youngsters and rebound contenders among the lot, an already superb rotation and bullpen could receive a few significant boosts from numerous sources. SP Clay Buchholz After the light came on last season, it never seemed to go out. Finally hitting his stride at the Major League level, he was able to lay fears about his potential to rest. Though not a groundbreaking season by any means, Buchholz’ performance went a long way toward stabilizing the ailing rotation during August and September. Looking forward to 2010, Buchholz should comfortably take the place of the 5th starter – possibly 4th, depending upon the performance of Daisuke Matsuzaka – expectations he should have no problem fulfilling...

Exploring the Matsuzaka injury

Recently we learned that Daisuke Matsuzaka admitted to hiding a leg injury that occurred in the World Baseball Classic from the Red Sox. Matsuzaka said the injury caused him to overwork his shoulder to maintain velocity and that by admitting to his injury, cause a limit in his training that would have made him not available to the Red sox in his expected full capacity. Matzusaka also claimed the injury was not so much a physical problem but more a struggle mentally to prepare for his starts and overcome the nagging pain he would be forced to endure.

But I couldn't use my lower body well, and I could not use my full body to generate the power. My fastball was not effective, therefore I lost effectiveness of my other pitches.

This definately can be seen in his first two starts, but looking at his full season there is less evidence that there was something different in his approach. The big numbers show a similar Matsuzaka in both season with a K/BB of 1.64 last year and a 1.80 in 2009. He was actually a bit better at avoiding walks, but a 4.55 BB/9 is still pretty bad. Let's look at his arm strength to see if there was any difference. His fastball dropped slightly from 91.8 to 91.0, but nothing to drastic and only his changeup also dropped more than 0.5 mph to match the fastball. Perhaps he was right that he was able to keep his speed up by relying on his shoulder strength, but we should be able to see some changes in his movement charts.

Seeing Straight on Aroldis Chapman

When any new phenomenon arrives, it takes a while for people to adjust their lifestyle and accommodate these changes. Cell phones are the most recent example. The Internet was another. In the baseball world, free agent-prospects are the newest slang, which, understandably, are forcing major league teams to adjust - with varied results. Baseball's newest free agent-prospect phenom, Aroldis Chapman is expected to visit Boston today, on the heels of a visit to New York on Monday. A world-class talent, he is turning baseball economics on its head. On the one hand, he is a prospect – a lean, projectable lefty at a young age, 21. On the other, he will command the salary of a major league free agent – not what you'd expect of a “prospect”. The newest “It Kid” from overseas, Chapman comes fully loaded with everything that makes scouts salivate more than Pavlov’s dogs: a ferocious fastball clocked as high as 102 mph and a long 6-4 frame. As a result, the young Cuban is considered the best prospect to reach the MLB this side of Stephen Strasburg – and he’s a lefty to boot. But there’s a problem with taking this position; mainly, the fact that he’s even labeled a “prospect”. Sure, he has all the traditional markings of one. He’s got exceptional tools, he’s projectable, he’s raw, and, most importantly, he’s young. However, under the modern economics of baseball, with escalating salaries and widely varying budgets, there are two nonnegotiable criteria that give value to and create the allure of the “prospect”...

So, who’s winning this Sox/Angels battle?

The Red Sox are set to do battle with the Angels later this week to decide who gets to play for the American League pennant. Boston and Los Angeles are certainly familiar with each other, having done battle in the 2004, '07 and '08 DCS. In fact, Boston went 9-1 in those games and the Angels' futility extends all the way bac to 1986 and Donnie Moore. Do the Angels have a chance to put their Boston voodoo behind them or will the Sawx manhandle L.A. all the way towards what seems to be an inevitable date with the Evil Empire? Read on to see pitching breakdowns, a look at the offense and defense, musings on hometown advantages, and the official prediction.

BOS 6, CLE 2: Sox Take Two from Cleveland

“Effective” isn’t a term often used to describe Daisuke Matsuzaka’s outings, but that’s exactly what he looked like in last night’s start, as the Red Sox took a second win off of the Cleveland Indians, 6-2.

10/2: Dicing them up

GAME NOTES: Dice-K enters his final start before October. He's looked a new man after missing most of the season with assorted problems. Can he keep it up?

NYY 3, BOS 0 – Sabathia Unhittable, Sox Fall

On Saturday night, the Sox-Yanks rivalry added another thrilling match to their dossier.

The game was hotly contested for the first seven innings. The game was scoreless through 5 ½, before the Yankees broke through in the sixth on a Robinson Cano homer to left : NYY 1, BOS 0.

The Yankees added two more on a bloop single with two-outs in the eighth. Wagner placed a fastball on the inside corner, but Damon got just enough on it to bloop it over Pedroia's head.

9/26: Big money pitchers

GAME NOTES: A huge test on if Dice can be trusted ... ok, he can't ever be trusted this season, so let me modify... A huge test on if Dice can be somewhat trusted in the playoffs will come with his performance against the Yankees. If the dam breaks, it won't be pretty. On the other side, we have to deal with their big dog, CC Sabathia.

Injuries, Blessings, and Manny Not Being Manny

A Pair of Injuries

On Monday, Junichi Tazawa was placed on the 60-day disabled list due to what has been described as a mild groin strain.

While the groin gives the Sox a formal reason to DL Tazawa, the pitcher had reportedly reached his innings limit, according to the Red Sox official web site. The move also helps make room for Chris Woodward.

The infielder will fill in for Nick Green, who is dealing with a back issue that has manifested as dead leg.