Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett left Sunday's start in Toronto in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sprained right ankle, according to an announcement from the team.
Beckett threw a 1-2 pitch to Brett Lawrie with two outs in the fourth and waited a bit to put his right foot back down after the delivery. Terry Francona and trainer Mike Reinold paid a visit to the mound and Beckett walked off with a very slight limp soon thereafter.
The timing of the injury is not good for a team suddenly thin on solid pitching. Erik Bedard is going to miss his next turn in the rotation due to left knee soreness, although he expects to make the start after that.
It is Beckett's shortest start since his last visit to Rogers Centre, but that was because of ineffectiveness. He lasted just three innings in that one, giving up eight runs on nine hits.
