When Kevin Youkilis was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with a torn muscle in his right thumb, he became the fifth member of Boston’s Opening Day starting lineup (sixth, if you include starting pitcher Josh Beckett) and 14th Red Sox player overall to spend time on the DL this year.
At one point, you have to wonder. Are the Red Sox cursed?
Every time Boston has a chance to get back into the race, the injury bug bites them unsuspected.
Youkilis’ injury is just the icing on the cake. And while he remains optimistic, the Red Sox will miss the anchor of their lineup for a few weeks, and possibly the remainder of the season, as a precaution for Youkilis’ long-term health.
"If you can't play baseball, it sucks," Youkilis said after Tuesday’s game. "I'm here to help the team win. I tried to express [the desire to play], but the team is also looking out for the interest of myself and the team down the road."
In other, more positive injury news, Jacoby Ellsbury made his return to the lineup on Wednesday, his first game at Fenway Park since April 7. It's just Ellsbury's 10th game of 2010 due to broken ribs.
Ellsbury will hope to replicate the heroics of teammate Mike Lowell, who came off the DL on Tuesday and smacked a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw. Lowell will see the bulk of the action at first base due to Youkilis’ injury.
Dustin Pedroia is still slowly recovering from a broken left foot that he suffered on June 25 in San Francisco. Pedroia slowed down his rehab activities last week in an effort to avoid permanent damage to his foot. He also said on Wednesday that he won't run until Friday, at the earliest.
Jason Varitek, who has a broken right foot, remains on crutches and is a few weeks behind Pedroia in his recovery.
And it doesn’t look good for Mike Cameron, who will need surgery on his abdomen at some point down the road. His return to the team in 2010 is still in question.
"My body is telling me to give it a break," Cameron said.
If the Red Sox can make the playoffs this year, one could make the argument that it’s the second time this team has broken a curse in the past decade.
