Marco Scutaro returns while David Ortiz is a rare omission from the starting lineup as the Red Sox tangle with the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.
Scutuaro went 4-for-5 with two home runs, matching career highs in hits and homers, in a win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday but gave his ailing right shoulder another day of rest in Friday's series opener, a 5-0 win for the A's. He will play second base for the second time this year, a ploy to protect the shoulder a bit.
Ortiz last missed a game Aug. 15 at Texas. Both he and regular right fielder J.D. Drew are out of the lineup with lefty Brett Anderson on the mound for Oakland. Ortiz and Drew are a combined 56-for-289 (.194) with just six homers off southpaws this year.
Mike Lowell is back in after sitting for two games and will fill Ortiz's designated hitter role. Lowell is 2-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs and two walks against Anderson.
Here are the full starting lineups for both teams:
Red Sox
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Darnell McDonald, RF
Victor Martinez, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Mike Lowell, DH
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Bill Hall, LF
Ryan Kalish, CF
Athletics
Coco Crisp, CF
Daric Barton, 1B
Kurt Suzuki, C
Jack Cust, DH
Mark Ellis, 2B
Jeremy Hermida, RF
Rajai Davis, LF
Jeff Larish, 3B
Cliff Pennington, SS
