“Structurally, it was really good,” said manager Terry Francona. “He has some bicep tendinitis we need to deal with, but the news was really good.”
Jenks, who has pitched just twice in the last 13 days, was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier Thursday after he experienced “cramping” in the arm while warming up in the bullpen during Boston’s 13-inning loss that began Wednesday night. Fellow right-hander Dan Wheeler was also placed on the DL with a left calf strain.
Those weren’t the only physical issues for the Red Sox on Thursday, a day which saw them lose two games in a span of just over 14 hours, with a tiny bit of sleep in between.
In the 11-0 drubbing at the hands of the Angels in the series finale, shortstop Jed Lowrie and third baseman Kevin Youkilis were both hurt on an awkward play at second base in the fifth inning. Lowrie rolled over his left wrist in a dive for a ball up the middle, but shook it off rather quickly.
Youkilis, who raced to cover second base when both Lowrie and second baseman Marco Scutaro ventured into shallow center for the ball hit by Peter Bourjos, bruised his left hand somehow when the ball and the runner reached the bag around the same time.
Francona said it was a bruise and that Youkilis was being examined by the medical staff after the game.
It is the latest in a run of physical issues for Youkilis. He jammed his glove hand in a game in Cleveland early in the year, and then had a sore hip that kept him out of action Sunday against Seattle. He returned for one game and then was sidelined again on Tuesday with an illness that has been working its way around the clubhouse.
When both were down on the very same play, it presented a scary scene for a team running on fumes right now. Fortunately, they said they were fine and both finished the game. The exams on Youkilis are considered precautionary.
“Both of them right away said they were OK,” Francona said. “They just needed a second to regroup. There were a lot of bodies flying on that play.”
