Injuries and the World Baseball Classic

As of right now we have no need to worry too much about the right side of our infield. Dustin Pedoria took batting practice today and a few ground balls at second base without any problems.

If you'll recall Pedroia felt a small pain in his oblique muscle during soft toss while at the World Baseball Classic. After that Pedroia was shutdown and sent back to Fort Myers to the Sox.

"I haven't felt it one time since I got back," he said. "I think the two days that I had off, actually three days that I had off, kind of calmed everything down. Every thing's been fine."

Kevin Youkilis came out today and said that the WBC was not to blame for his injured ankle and that he had been feeling sore for a few weeks. Not the greatest news if it is in fact true, part of me thinks Youk is covering for the WBC and Team America.

Red Sox, and boy wonder (when will he become a man wonder?) GM Theo Epstein said, "It was the right thing to do to shut him down for a few days, but it's nothing serious, nothing we're overly concerned with at all."

Youk added that if he had to play right now he could, the Sox are just being cautious, and why not? The season starts in a little more then 2 weeks, no need to push these guys. It's a long season and you don't win anything in April.

On the topic of the WBC and guys getting hurt, I'm not playing that card. They had a choice to play, ideally everyone returns healthy but I think we all knew there were going to be some casualties, unfortunately from the Sox this time around.

There doesn't seem to be a good time to play the WBC given the length of the regular season and a full month for the post season. I think they should shorten the season by 12 games and do the WBC in the middle of the season if they want to make it work, kind of like a prolonged all star break . Play it in two weeks when guys are in mid season shape, and you can still have pitch counts for the pitchers.

Of course someone is probably still going to get hurt and my plan is by no means perfect, but I thin it makes more sense then asking these guy to go from 0-100 mph in March. This is the 2nd year of the WBC and it certainly has its problems, like being televised on a station I have, but overall I like the upside of it.

And Then There Were Two

Kevin Youkilis was knocked out of the WBC yesterday, which leaves Dice-K and Venezuela pitcher Enrique Gonzalez as the last two Sox standing in the WBC. Who will go down next?

Youk reported to Fort Meyers yesterday, where team doctors diagnosed a mild ankle sprain and mild Achilles' tendinitis. MRIs were negative, but "to limit movement and allow his ankle to heal," a Sox press release announced, "Youkilis will wear a walking boot for the next several days but is not expected to miss significant time.

For the time being, then, it doesn't sound too serious. More of an 'oh God, if they touch a single hair on his body we're pulling him out of the WBC' move. A common play this year, and understandable, if not entirely desirable.

Certainly there is cause for concern, though. As things stand, three of the four projected starting infielders for the Sox are injured. Which means Mike Lowell is the healthiest member of the crew. So, I repeat, there is some cause for concern. Let's hope that the right side, at least, bounces back from what seem to be minor conditions, and prove to be as reliable as they were last year. For the left side, I know you can do it, Mike. I believe in you.