As they try to figure out what is wrong with him, the Boston Red Sox have told Matsuzaka that he will skip his next start. In Matsuzaka’s place, the Red Sox will go with John Smoltz, who will be making his season debut.

Last season, Matsuzaka was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He appeared to be well worth the huge contract he received prior to the 2007 season. This year? Not so much.

In eight starts, Matsuzaka has an 8.23 ERA with a record of 1-5. In 35 innings of work, he’s given up 59 hits, 18 walks and eight homers.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona thinks he knows where Matsuzaka’s struggles originate.

Said Francona: “It all started with the WBC. It’s become obvious that his velocity wasn’t what it was.”

Sources in Boston are split about whether Matsuzaka is simply fatigued or may have something physically ailing him. Just to make sure, the Red Sox are going to put him through a full medical exam.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - Boston Red Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Daisuke Matsuzaka to Skip Start

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

In the three games without Ortiz, the Red Sox went 1-2 against the Seattle Mariners. Their lone win was a 5-3 victory on Saturday when Josh Beckett picked up his fourth win and Jonathan Papelbon picked up his tenth save.

Boston only managed 11 runs in those three games so taking Ortiz out of the lineup didn’t exactly open up the floodgates. When the native of the Dominican Republic returns, the Red Sox are hopeful that he can find the power that has made him one of the most feared hitters in the game over the last half decade. Currently, Ortiz is hitting .208 with no homers and 15 RBIs.

One interesting note is that manager Terry Francona didn’t guarantee Ortiz would return to his customary spot in the batting order. Ortiz usually bats third but that could apparently change when he returns against the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

On Monday, Boston has the day off.

Post from: EveryJoe

David Ortiz to Return Against Blue Jays

The 33-year-old native of the Dominican Republic is hitting .208 with no homers and 15 RBI in 34 games this season. Perhaps his worst game came on Thursday when he was 0-for-7 at the plate.

Ortiz doesn’t have a homer in 144 at-bats — the longest stretch of his career without a long ball in more than eight years. Between 2004 and 2006, Ortiz had at least 41 homers in each season, including 54 home runs in 2006. Prior to last year, he had at least 100 RBIs in each of his five seasons with the Red Sox.

When Ortiz eventually returns to the lineup, Francona said that he will still bat third in the lineup.

David Ortiz, Red Sox

Post from: EveryJoe

Slumping David Ortiz Given Time Off

How many of you have Chicago White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin on your fantasy baseball team? Now, how many of you picked him in the draft and not out of the free agency pool? Not that many, I’m sure. Quentin is having a solid season, batting .295 with 15 home runs and 50 runs batted in. Yet, the tragedy is that Quentin’s name is no where to be found on the Major League Baseball All-Star ballot. He can be placed on the ballot as a write-in vote, but that’s probably not going to get him selected. So, the Southtown Star is starting a campaign to get the White Sox slugger into the All-Star game. It’s called ‘Q-Tips for Quentin.’

The newspaper is educating fans that the best way for Quentin to be picked for the game is to be selected as a reserve by Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who will be the manager for the American League All-Stars. The story, which appears in Wednesday issue, is asking fans to “get in the ear” of Francona by writing the Red Sox skipper and placing a Q-tip in the envelop.

A sample letter from the newspaper for fans to send, reads:

“Dear Terry:

Can we call you Terry? True, you don’t really know us, but we’re big Sox fans – White Sox fans.

We’re sending you this note – and this Q-tip – as a reminder of the stellar season Carlos Quentin’s putting up for us here on the South Side of Chicago.

He’s among the American League leaders in home runs and RBIs, and his batting average ranks among the tops for outfielders.

Please don’t forget him when it comes time to pick the American League All-Star reserves.

Your friend,

__________________________,

SouthtownStar reader (and Carlos Quentin fan)”

I have to hand it to them. This is a very creative idea. I hope Quentin gets selected by Francona. My letter is in the mail.

Post from: EveryJoe

Q-Tips for Quentin