In the past several years, as the Boston Red Sox have lurked around the top of the American League East, the one constant and reliable figure on the hill has been Tim Wakefield. The knuckleballer was second on the team with 119 2/3 innings, but after grappling with back discomfort for the better part of a month he could land on the disabled list.
For now he is considered ‘day-to-day’ and will undergo a more thorough medical evaluation on Tuesday. Regardless of whether Wakefield ends up on the disabled list or not his injury highlights the team’s continuing struggle to get innings from its starters.
After enduring six occasions in the last 10 games in which the team’s starter lasted five or fewer innings, the Sox are famished for innings. If they do not receive more substantial contributions the club could overtax its bullpen.
LHP Jon Lester, Tuesday’s Red Sox starter, has averaged just 5 1/3 innings per start despite an impressive 2.89 ERA. The 22-year-old has run up high pitch counts partly the result of occasional wildness and partly the result of an effort to be precise. While his excellent three-pitch repertoire could allow him to succeed while attacking the strike zone, the Sox don’t want to force the issue.
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