FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When it comes to injuries, the Red Sox have a long way to go before they can catch the Yankees.
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The Yankees have lost outfielder Curtis Granderson and first baseman Mark Teixeira for extended periods. The best-case scenario for Alex Rodriguez is a return after the All-Star Game -- and even that seems wildly optimistic -- and after Tuesday, it seems as though Derek Jeter's return from a broken ankle is not without its setbacks.
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By contrast, the Red Sox injuries seem relatively minor. Unless things get unexpectedly worse for a couple of those now sidelined, the Sox should be at relatively full strength by late April or so.???? ?
But the Yankees won 95 games last year, while the Red Sox won just 69. And as they attempt to rebound from the debacle of 2012, the team's mounting injuries are a potential roadblock back to respectability.
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A look at the various ailments, the plan to overcome each one and overall impact on the club -- at least for the short-term.
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DAVID ORTIZ
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INJURY: Inflammation in both heels, an indirect result of the sprained Achilles tendon.
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TIMETABLE: Ortiz has all but been ruled out of the opener. The start of the regular season is less than two weeks away and Ortiz has yet to successfully run the bases, much less get into a Grapefruit League game. A 10-day down period of rest, coupled with some anti-inflammatory medication has not, to date, had the intended effect.
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The Sox are hopeful that he could return by mid-April, but at this rate, May 1 might be a more realistic goal.
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REPLACEMENTS: A cast of thousands. Or a handful anyway. The Sox could use anyone from Jonny Gomes to Mike Carp to Mauro Gomez to Ryan Lavarnway. Either way, it's a big dropoff from Ortiz, who has an OPS of 1.016 when he was injured last July and is one of the half-dozen or so best run producers in the game.
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IMPACT: Huge. Ortiz is the Red Sox' one game-changed in the lineup. Without him in the middle of the lineup, opposing pitchers can much easier pitch around others. If this injury grows into something chronic, the loss will be devestating to the team's offense and its goal of returning to contention.
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STEPHEN DREW
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INJURY: Post-concussion symptoms, the result of being beaned in the helmet on March 7.
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TIMETABLE: Uncertain. Initially, the Sox believed that Drew would miss a day or two. But it's been nearly two weeks and the Sox were concerned enough to send him Tuesday to visit with a specialist in Pittsburgh. This much is clear: he won't be ready for April 1.
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REPLACEMENT: Jose Iglesias will get most of the playing time, with Pedro Ciriaco serving as the utility infielder.
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IMPACT: If anything, Iglesias will represent an upgrade over Drew in the field, with peerless range and athleticism. But there's a considerable gap between the two offensively. Healthy, Drew can provide extra-base hits. In 2010, his last fully healthy season, he amassed 60 extra-base hits: 33 doubles, 12 triples and 15 homers. Iglesias, meanwhile, struggled to hit his weight last season in the big leagues. A new approach at the plate and some extra muscle in his upper half may help, but there's no guarantee that, for now, Iglesias is a major league hitter.
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FRANKLIN MORALES
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INJURY: Bulging disc in his lower back
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TIMETABLE: Recovery has been slow, even after an epidural, administered in Boston last week, has relieved a lot of the discomfort. Morales is essentially limited to long-tossing and is probably more than a week away from getting back on the mound.
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REPLACEMENT: A roster spot has opened the bullpen, one that could be taken by Clayton Mortensen or Daniel Bard or someone else that might have failed to make the team had Morales been healthy. There are no lefthanded candidates to replace him.
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IMPACT: The biggest hit won't necessarily be in the bullpen, but rather, the Red Sox' starting depth. The plan had been to stretch out Aceves, Mortensen and Morales in the spring, to have two candidates ready to go if something happened to one of the members of the starting rotation. Without Morales, that depth is thinned out, forcing the Red Sox to cast about for some other veteran starting options.
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CRAIG BRESLOW
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INJURY: Left shoulder inflammation
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TIMETABLE: Uncertain. Despite some medication and treatment, Breslow has reached a plateau and hasn't been able to make much progress. MRI's have shown no structural damage to the shoulder joint -- which is good -- but Breslow is nowhere near getting back on the field -- which isn't.
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REPLACEMENT: As is the case with his bullpen-mate Morales, Breslow's unavailability will allow someone from the group of Mortensen-Aceves-Bard to stick with the club. But again, it won't be someone lefthanded.
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IMPACT: At the start of spring, new manager John Farrell believed he had the luxury of three effective lefites (Breslow, Morales and Andrew Miller), giving him the option of matching up as soon as the sixth inning, while still retaining two other lefty weapons. Now, he's down to Miller as his lone lefty to start the season. That will limit how much he can do with matchups and force him to count more on Koji Uehara, who has traditionally been effective against lefthanders.
Source: http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/four-players-red-sox-were-counting-may-not-be-ready
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