Beckett scratched. Are there any two words that could strike such fear into the heart of a Red Sox fan as those? We’re not talking about a blister or a hangover, we’re talking back spasms. Red’s girl Amalie reports:
“In his first warm-up toss after warming up in the bullpen, in which he was fine, his landing foot seemed to give way just a little bit,” pitching coach John Farrell said, indicating that the slide of Beckett’s front foot put pressure on his back one. “That’s when he felt some spasm or some tightness in his low back. Subsequently to that, he threw another five pitches. At that, the spasm had gotten to the point where he felt it was best to shut it down.”
Beckett was examined by the team’s medical staff, but the severity of the injury was unknown. Nor was it known when Beckett might take the mound again.
With Schill already out indefinitely, I don’t need to tell you how scary this is.
On the other side of the coin, Jacoby Ellsbury began his “fight” to win the centerfield starting job (wink wink). The boy wonder went three-for-five with a homerun and two RBI.
Remember when Craig Hansen was one of the untouchable young pitchers in the farm system? He’s sporting a lofty 14+ ERA this spring.
More news on Beckett as it comes…keep your foam fingers crossed.
