Kevin Youkilis will be given a second straight day off and red-hot Daniel Nava is elevated to the second spot in the lineup when the Red Sox and Colorado Rockies wrap up a three-game series at Coors Field.
Youkilis is still wrestling with a sore back that became an issue two weeks ago in Cleveland. His absence gives David Ortiz a second consecutive start at first base.
Nava, who had two doubles and three RBIs in Wednesday's 8-6 loss, will bat higher than sixth in the lineup for just the second time since being called up. The 27-year-old is batting .382 with 10 RBIs in 10 games.
With Nava batting second, Dustin Pedroia will drop to third, where he has batted just .091 (2-for-22) this year and .176 in his career.
Mike Cameron returns to the starting lineup for the Sox after getting just one at-bat as a pinch hitter Wednesday. Cameron and Ortiz are the only two in the Boston lineup to have homered off Rockies starter Jason Hammel.
Batting ninth, of course, is Daisuke Matsuzaka, a career .100 (1-for-10) hitter.
Here are the complete lineups for both teams:
Red Sox
Marco Scutaro, SS
Daniel Nava, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Jason Varitek, C
Mike Cameron, CF
Josh Reddick, RF
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P
Rockies
Jonathan Herrera, 2B
Todd Helton, 1B
Carlos Gonzalez, CF
Brad Hawpe, RF
Seth Smith, LF
Miguel Olivo, C
Ian Stewart, 3B
Clint Barmes, SS
Jason Hammel, P
