Red Sox - Inside Pitch

It’s no secret that David Ortiz is still having good days and bad days after undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery in the offseason.

The questions concerning the overall health of his leg grew louder when the Sox’s designated hitter struggled out of the gate this season and hit .111 as of April 11. The knee hasn’t gotten any worse or better.

It’s probably somewhere in the middle for Ortiz: The knee is hurting as much as people think when the lefty swinger is struggling and it’s not pain-free even when he’s riding one of his patented power surges.

“He’s OK. I think he’s just sore. I know there’s nothing structural,” manager Terry Francona said. “I think he will (deal with pain). He had surgery, he’s a big guy and he’s not 22 years old.

“I think that’s just the way life is as you start to progress in your career. Sometimes we need to give a guy a day off, and he knows it.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Ortiz exacerbated the knee issues when he opted to go for a headfirst slide during a three-game series last weekend. He promptly missed a pair of games with a bruised right knee.

The knee is certainly still aching, and Ortiz is going to have to fight through the pain to try to raise his offensive numbers to his usual levels. Despite the .196 batting average, Ortiz is still among the American League’s leaders in home runs (five) and RBIs (21).

The reappearance of some power has allowed Red Sox fans to relax, but the 32-year-old Ortiz won’t ever be able to relax when it comes to the maintenance of his all-important knees.

“He has to get in on the elliptical and he can’t just come in and play the game,” Francona said. “He doesn’t have that freedom anymore. He knows that. He does a pretty good job with that, and he will continue to.”

Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 0: The Boston offense managed only four hits and has scored a grand total of four runs in the last five games, including a pair of shutouts. Tim Wakefield soldiered through seven innings of work and allowed only three runs but couldn’t avoid his first defeat of the season.

Notes, Quotes

• OF Jacoby Ellsbury (sore groin) and OF J.D. Drew (quadriceps tightness) were both on the Fenway Park field prior to the game, testing out their injuries. Neither player appeared in Thursday’s game. Manager Terry Francona hoped that both players would be available for Friday’s opener against the Rays.

• DH David Ortiz ranks ninth on the Red Sox all-time home run list with 213. Hall-of-Famers Jimmie Foxx and Bobby Doerr are next with 222 and 223. Ortiz would move up to sixth place if he manages to hit 18 more homers this season.

• RHP Manny Delcarmen is tied for the American League lead with 14 appearances this season. It marks the second-most appearances for a Sox pitcher during April. Tom Gordon appeared in 15 April games in 1998, and Mike Stanton appeared in 14 April games in 1996. Delcarmen has been utilized frequently, but he has allowed runs in each of his last four outings, and his ERA has ballooned to 6.17.

• C Kevin Cash had a personal-best six-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0-for-1 with two walks Thursday. Cash has become the personal catcher for RHP Tim Wakefield this season, and is hitting .333 in the six games he’s caught the knuckleballer this season.

• The Red Sox are reportedly looking into moving their Florida spring training home from its current location in Fort Myers to Sarasota. The Sox moved to Fort Myers from Winter Haven in 1993 and have been in their current spot for the last 15 years. The club’s interest reportedly was piqued when they learned that the Cincinnati Reds were leaving Sarasota for Arizona’s Cactus League.

By The Numbers: 1,701—Total number of consecutive errorless defensive chances by 1B Kevin Youkilis, which broke the record for all defensive positions in the major leagues.

Quote To Note: “I just try to go out there and play the best that I can whenever they put me out there. I wish it were softball, but it’s not so we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, we all continue to play well and give them a tough decision on who to put out there on any given day.”—OF Coco Crisp, on his mind-set while playing the part of a fourth outfielder on the Sox this season.

Roster Report

Medical Watch:

OF J.D. Drew (tightness in left quadriceps) left the April 29 game. He didn’t play April 30 or May 1 but might return May 2.

OF Jacoby Ellsbury (sore groin) did not play May 1. He may be available May 2 against the Rays.

INF Alex Cora (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 10. He might start making throws across the diamond on May 2.

1B Sean Casey (strained right hip flexor) went on the 15-day disabled list April 26.

RHP Curt Schilling (right shoulder) began experiencing discomfort during the offseason, and he opened the season on the 60-day disabled list as he undergoes a muscle-strengthening program. Schilling is expected to be out until at least the All-Star break, and his legendary career might be over.