Martinez was back in Cleveland dealing with a family matter while Youkilis was on the bench after complaining of back spasms. But according to the third baseman, the recurring injury isn't a huge concern.
"I've had back spasms every year at some point," he told Boston.com. "I get them and they go away. Once they're gone, they're gone. That's the key. After you have them, you know how to treat them."
Youkilis also indicated that the spasms are unrelated to the oblique strain that landed him on the disabled list in May. While he said that heat and rest are the only components required for recovery, he is unsure of how long it will be before he is able to return to the Red Sox lineup.
"I want to play every day," he told the Web site. "I just can't play. It's upsetting to me. We're very fortunate. There's not one player on this team, if one guy is out, it doesn't mean this team is not going to win. I'm a big believer that just one guy being out of the lineup doesn't do anything. In order to win, there's a lot of guys in this room that do a lot more on a daily basis. That's one of my big philosophies. I'd like to be in the lineup and help this team. But we've got plenty of guys here that can help out when guys go down."
The Red Sox were certainly fortunate to get a solid start out of Daisuke Matsuzaka on Tuesday, when the offense wasn't exploding with production. The right-hander, making his first start since landing on the DL in June, threw six shutout innings against the Angels, ranked second in the league in runs scored.
With Youkilis and Martinez temporarily unavailable, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek will fill in. Both went 0-for-3 against the Angels in Tuesday's 4-1 win.
