Tim Wakefield to Return for Red Sox

Tim Wakefield, who has been dealing with a lower back injury, will return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Wakefield, who made the All-Star team this year, had been enjoying one of his better seasons prior to getting hurt.

In 17 starts this season, Wakefield is 11-3 with a 4.31 ERA. The 43-year-old knuckleballer was on pace to set his career-high in wins but now his focus is just on getting back to Boston and helping his team make the playoffs.

To make room for Wakefield, Brad Penny will be ousted from the rotation. Though he was pitching decently well early in the season, Penny has struggled as of late. In August, he is 0-3 with a 8.31 ERA. In his last outing, he gave up ten hits and eight earned runs against the New York Yankees.

Right now, the Red Sox are trying to battle off the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays to win the AL Wild Card race. If they can get hot, they may still be able to catch the Yankees in the AL East. Currently, they trail the Yankees by 6.5 games.

Tim Wakefield - Boston Red Sox