Beckett out for postseason? (nope, just games 1 and 2)

[CalvnHobs6]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/index.php/2008/09/28/beckett-could-be-out-for-postseason/

 

We’ll have a complete story coming up, but the Red Sox are going to make an announcement following tonight’s game about the health status of righthander Josh Beckett.

 

Beckett, according to a source, has suffered an oblique injury and may not be able to face the Angels in the Division Series.

 

More to come.

 

This would be most, most unfortunate.

[BoSox21]

oh good lord no.....

[CalvnHobs6]

More...

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2008_09_28_Source:_Josh_Beckett_has_oblique_injury:_Sox_ace_may_be_in_hole/srvc=home&position=1

The Red Sox [team stats] could be facing a Tom Brady [stats]-like blow to their postseason plans.

 

Just as the Patriots [team stats] are trying to make it work this season without the injured Brady as their quarterback, the Red Sox could be going into the playoffs without Josh Beckett [stats] as the ace of their pitching staff.

 

According to a source, Beckett sustained an oblique injury during a bullpen session following his last start.

 

Asked last night if Beckett is suffering from an oblique injury, a separate Red Sox source said a medical update on Beckett will be announced today, before the team boards its charter flight to California for Wednesday’s Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels.

 

The Sox were poised to enter the postseason with one of baseball’s best front-three starters in Beckett (12-10, 4.03 ERA), Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] (18-3, 2.90) and Jon Lester [stats] (16-6, 3.21). The team has yet to announce its pitching plans for the ALDS, but it has been widely speculated that Beckett would start Game 1.

 

Between games of yesterday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park [map] against the Yankees, Sox manager Terry Francona said the team’s postseason pitching plans would be announced today.

 

Because of off days built into the ALDS, Beckett, if healthy, would be able to start Game 1 and return on four days’ rest to pitch a possible Game 4 next Monday at Fenway Park. If he is unable to pitch, the Red Sox could still get two starts each out of Lester and Matsuzaka, with either Tim Wakefield [stats] or Paul Byrd starting Game 3.

 

Even taking into account the splendid seasons Lester and Matsuzaka have submitted, losing Beckett would seriously hamper the Red Sox in the postseason. There have been plenty of teams that have won the World Series on the strength of two starting pitchers - Curt Schilling [stats] and Randy Johnson of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks quickly come to mind - but Beckett has emerged as one of the top postseason pitchers of this era.

 

Beckett was one of the keys to the Red Sox winning the World Series last year, going 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA in four postseason starts. He faced the Angels in Game 1 of the ALDS, tossing a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 Red Sox victory, allowing just four hits.

 

He won both his starts against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series, allowing just three runs in 14 innings and being named MVP.

 

In his lone start in the Sox’ four-game World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, he allowed one run in seven innings in Game 1, a 13-1 Red Sox victory. He struck out nine Rockies that night, including the first four of the game.

 

Counting his 2003 season with the Florida Marlins, which culminated with Beckett pitching his team to victory over the Yankees in the clinching Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, Beckett is 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA in the Fall Classic. He is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts, and 1-1 with a 0.56 ERA in the Division Series.

 

In his most recent start, on Sept. 22 at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Guardians, Beckett worked six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He had six strikeouts and issued one walk.

 

In four September starts, Beckett is 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA, with opposing hitters batting just .215 against him.

 

Beckett made only 27 starts this season, having served two stints on the disabled list.

 

He was on the disabled list with a lower back strain from the beginning of the season until April 6. He returned to the DL on Aug. 28, retroactive to Aug. 18, with what was termed right elbow inflammation. Extensive tests during his most recent stay on the DL revealed no structural damage in the pitcher’s right elbow.

 

Granted, it's also from the Boston Herald. This really, really sucks, I hope it isn't true.

[Cocos Disciples]

f***. s***. Cock.

 

Oh f***ing s*** cock, please no.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Oh f*** this.

 

I'm still a bit confident though that Lester and Dice-K will be enough. Plus if Byrd and Wakefield play like they could, then it should be ok.

[The Dustball]

OH MY GOD. Pleaseeeeeeeeee don't be true.

[Gom]

If it's true, Angels in 3.

 

No Manny, no Beckett...not good.

 

For you guys. For me, I'm lovin it!

[BigPapiEnFuego]

If it's true, Angels in 3.

 

 

LOL ok

[a700hitter]

Francona says that Beckett will pitch game 3.

[Cocos Disciples]

If it's true, Angels in 3.

 

No Manny, no Beckett...not good.

 

For you guys. For me, I'm lovin it!

 

Oh s***, Manny left? I bet we've really sucked since that happened, right? Right?

[Cocos Disciples]

Francona says that Beckett will pitch game 3.

 

Good news if all goes well between now and then. So if we have a 3 man, then that's: Lester, DiceK, Beckett, Lester, DiceK.

[BoSox21]

honestly, I was wondering why it seemed every other playoff team announced their pitching plans and the Sox hadnt but if this latest turn with Beckett being able to go in game 3 is true, thats not so bad

[jacksonianmarch]

The Red Sox confirmed that Josh Beckett suffered a strained oblique while throwing Friday and won't start before Game 3 of the ALDS.

 

Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka will start the first two games versus the Angels. Manager Terry Francona indicated that he was confident that Beckett would be able to go Sunday. There was some thought to using him in Game 2 on Friday.

 

Obliques are tricky things. Some are very mild, some are more severe than broken bones in terms of missed time. The obliques are very important muscles in baseball, both in swinging and pitching and I have a sneaking suspicion that even if Becks tries to give it a go, he wont be 100%

[The Dustball]

Huge relief. Beckett in a game 3 as opposed to Byrd/Wakefield is a huge boost.

[BoSox21]

Playoff rotation announced as Sox deal with Beckett injury

 

Manager Terry Francona said after the game that Jon Lester will be the Game 1 starter in the ALDS against the Angels. He will be followed by Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game 2 and Josh Beckett in Game 3. Beckett suffered a strained right oblique during the 40th pitch of a bullpen session on Friday (the team had already planned to have him skip his Saturday start). The team believes Beckett will be okay, and even contemplated having him pitch Game 2 on Friday before deciding to have him start Game 3 on Sunday. -- Rob Bradford (Sept. 28, 10:56pm)

 

Rob Bradford - WEEI.com

[Gom]

The Beckett injury makes it even that much more important to split the first two games.

[msubulldogs21]

It really gave me a scare when I heard about this earlier. At least we now know he's going to pitch, although it would've been nice to have him go twice if need be. Regardless, I'm confident Lester and Dice-K can do the job.

[jacksonianmarch]

You guys are talking like its set in stone. Oblique injuries are bad ones to have. They nag, they arent debilitating, but they are nagging injuries that can take weeks to heal. I honestly dont think Beckett makes the start. If it was bad enough to move his start back, I dont think he'll be well enough to throw in the first round.

[Cityofchampions33]

"Q: Do you know which side?

 

A: I think it was his right side. It was on his 40th pitch [of his side session Friday]. Because it was raining and things like that, he was almost done. I don’t think it actually was something where he just threw it and grabbed it. It was almost in between pitchers, where he took a deep breath and, ‘Man, I feel something.’ He went and got treatment. They’ve been working on him. Initially, when you hear something like that, you’re kind of like, ‘Damn.’ [A team doctor] came in and goes, ‘Hey, relax. We’ll be alright.’ So that was kind of reassuring."

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...ona_on_bec.html

 

And he's throwing a side on Thursday so, not as bad as Buckley made it sound, jesus, he almost gave me a stroke.

[riverside sluggers]

Another positive is that if the series goes 5 and they win it of course, he should be in line to pitch game 1 of the alcs

[rician blast]

The Beckett injury makes it even that much more important to split the first two games.

 

The stakes are so high, and at least a split is so important, I'm not sure his status matters; in other words, if they lose the first two, the Angels have to pretty much play themselves out of the series in order not to take at least one of the next three.

 

Silver lining might be that the Halos have proven that to be a skill of their's.

[Gom]

The stakes are so high, and at least a split is so important, I'm not sure his status matters; in other words, if they lose the first two, the Angels have to pretty much play themselves out of the series in order not to take at least one of the next three.

 

Silver lining might be that the Halos have proven that to be a skill of their's.

True. However, you did lose one of the greatest post-season hitters of all-time in Manny. If you're going to give Beckett credit, you have to take into effect Manny's loss.

[a700hitter]

You guys are talking like its set in stone. Oblique injuries are bad ones to have. They nag' date=' they arent debilitating, but they are nagging injuries that can take weeks to heal. I honestly dont think Beckett makes the start. If it was bad enough to move his start back, I dont think he'll be well enough to throw in the first round.[/quote']Get off your knees and drop your rosary beads. He'll be pitching game 3.

[BSN07]

I think he will pitch and be ok, maybe not 100%.

 

 

But you have to give Jacko's opinion some level or respect on this. Yes it might smell of Yankee Eau de Toilette, he has a medical background, and I'm sure hidden under the fragrance, is some medical knowledge.

[ORS]

Get off your knees and drop your rosary beads. He'll be pitching game 3.

Seriously.

 

Jacko may be a doctor in real life, but his "medical opinions" regarding the Sox are so transparent he appears more like a voodoo witch doctor, particularly when you see the medical optimism dripping from his posts about Yankee injuries. Bottom line is, nobody on this forum has access to Beckett or his medical records, so nobody will know the degree to which this will affect him until first pitch on Sunday. The filler from both sides until that day is just hopeful bluster.

[BoSox21]

I'd imagine there are varying degrees of an oblique pull as well, like with a hamstring. Beckett said he just felt the oblique tugging him and by the 40th pitch, he felt something wrong. That sounds different from a few years ago when Trot pulled his oblique on a violent swing and looked like a sniper had shot him.

[Quinny]

beckett through long toss yesterday with good results so its still looking good for game 3.

[BoSox21]

Beckett threw 67 pitches in what Terry Francona called a “real productive” bullpen session, “which a pretty aggressive side. But I think we needed to do that. Certainly, you’re always checking on health. And with Josh, it’s important to – he needs to know going into the start that he has available what he needs to win. So today was a very productive day. Nothing was cut short, fastball had some finish to it. Threw all his pitches. I think we were very pleased with the way things went.”

 

Boston.com

 

So far so good

[Mazekarnes]

Please play sunday we cannot live without u:D

Mazie

[Dojji]

Plz change title to "Beckett's Oblique." I logged into the forum this morning and just about had a coronary thinking it was something new.