Bedard To Make Red Sox Debut Thursday
BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Monday that recently acquired left-hander Erik Bedard is scheduled to start Thursday's series finale against Cleveland.
Bedard, traded from Seattle to Boston in a three-team deal just before the non-waiver trade deadline Sunday, is expected to join the Red Sox on Tuesday.
In a pair of moves on Sunday, Boston first sent minor league right-handers Stephen Fife and Juan Rodriguez and catcher Tim Federowicz to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Trayvon Robinson. The Red Sox then traded Robinson to the Mariners with Double-A outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang for Bedard and Josh Fields.
Boston had to bolster its starting pitching depth with right-hander Clay Buchholz sidelined with a back injury. The club already lost right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka for the season after he had Tommy John surgery in early June.
Francona said Buchholz saw specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles today, but the team's medical personnel still need to go over the results.
Various media reports have Buchholz possibly lost for the season with a stress fracture in his back.
"Now we need to let Dr. Watkins talk to the medical people and Theo (general manager, Epstein)," Francona said. "We'll have an update tomorrow or maybe later tonight."
Boston had acquired right-hander Rich Harden from Oakland last Saturday night, but the deal fell through when the Red Sox reviewed his medical records.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
