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| The NFLPA's collusion lawsuit has a nice little 'lockout' feel to it. (Getty Images) |
Josh Beckett -- who left his start Tuesday in the third inning with a back spasm -- didn't throw a scheduled bullpen session on Thursday and "more than likely" won't start Sunday against the Twins, Boston manager Bobby Valentine told reporters.
"I'm going to talk to Josh," Valentine said (according to the Boston Herald). "He's been through this a couple of times before. I'll just get all the information, figure out if Tuesday is feasible or Wednesday is feasible, what that does for the rest of the staff, and if it would be better to give him the entire [15-day] break."
Left-hander Franklin Morales would be the top candidate to make the start in Beckett's spot on Sunday, Valentine said.
The Red Sox manager did not that Beckett "feels much improved today," so there's still an outside shot Beckett would be able to start Sunday. He'd need to throw a bullpen session on Friday in order to start on Sunday, Valentine said.
Meanwhile, DH David Ortiz told reporters he was feeling better following a workout on Thursday. Ortiz told reporters his injured Achilles tendon is "around 50 to 60 percent right now." He also warned that it'll be a while before he's full speed (whatever that means for Ortiz).
"The doctors and trainers say I'm not going to be 100 percent when I come back to play, but when we start doing the power drills and once I start feeling better, I think I will be ready to go," he said (via WEEI.com).
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