Six games behind the Yankees in the AL East divisional race and five-and-a-half games behind the Rays in the AL wild-card race, it is beginning to sink in that the Red Sox face a monstrous task if they intend to play baseball beyond Oct. 3.
Principal owner John Henry confirmed the angst settling into Red Sox Nation on Friday.
According to AOL FanHouse, Henry said via e-mail that the Sox will "need another miracle" as the team gets set to take on the Yankees in a crucial four-game series in the Bronx.
Henry praised the way that many of the players — specifically Mike Cameron, Marco Scutaro, J.D. Drew and Adrian Beltre — have persevered throughout the season despite lingering injuries.
Ultimately, though, the owner said he feels as though those injuries are what might cost the team a spot in the postseason.
"Theo put together a club this year that should have been right there with the Rays and Yankees," he told AOL FanHouse. "However, the injuries we have had have been almost astonishing. I didn't think 2006 would ever be replicated. But injuries are a major part of sports.
"Our payroll was our highest ever. We went for it this year. We felt well-positioned to make the postseason and believed our starting pitching would make us difficult to beat in October. But we also knew that Tampa and New York were extraordinarily strong."
The Red Sox have certainly had more than their fair share of injuries this season, and Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is one player who has been forced to miss an extended period of time. Henry said that it is frustrating to hear people question why a player doesn’t come back as quickly as some would like, and that no one should question Ellsbury’s desire to compete.
"One of the problems we have is players trying to come back too soon," he said.
Certainly getting healthy for the end of the season has been a top priority for the Red Sox. With Kevin Youkilis, whom Theo Epstein regarded as the heart and soul of the team, out for the season, the task becomes that much more difficult.
