By Maureen Mullen
CSNNE.comFollow @maureenamullen
BOSTONJ. D. Drew, on the disabled list since July 20 with a left shoulder impingement, was back with the Red Sox before the series finale against the Yankees Thursday at Fenway Park. Drew had been scheduled for a two-game rehab with Triple-A Pawtucket, but the second game was scratched after Drew injured his right middle finger in his first game with the PawSox on Tuesday.
I came up for my second at-bat and a guy threw me a fastball middle-in and I just fouled it off, Drew said. My bottom hand slipped off the bat and it just jammed my finger against the nob of the bat and kind of bent it back and sprained it pretty good . . . It was one of those things were very rarely does your bottom hand slip off the bat. My fingers caught the nob and really torqued it pretty good.
So I felt it, came out of the box, stood around for 30 seconds, finished the at-bat -- finished two more at-bats and got a couple of hits. Thought I was all right, but woke up in the middle of the night, had it really wrapped up and it was really pounding. Went in yesterday and tried to take some dry swings and it was really painful, so I flew back last night saw the doctors, took some X-rays, moved it around a little bit.
"It's a day-to-day thing. I think it's going to be a little longer than a few days but hopefully once it calms down the swelling gets out of there, we can make some progress.
Drew had been expected to be activated today. But now thinks he will need about another week.
I'm hoping that's all it is, He said. But realistically it's a matter of when I start swinging and I don't really feel it and when I don't tax it in that area, that's when I get to go back to taking full hacks and getting ready to play again. Hopefully, four to five days from now we'll have a better idea of where we're at.
Boston Red Sox
His shoulder, though, is healthy.
I felt really good, he said. My shoulder, strength-wise is really good and we've done a lot of work to get the strength to where I wanted it, so I was really feeling good there, having some nice rounds of batting practice, running well, felt good defensively.
"It's just one of them fluke things that pops up in this situation. I honestly didn't think it was going to be as bad with the finger. It hurt really bad when I did it, but I didn't think it was that extensive of an injury. Then you wake up in the middle of the night and the thing is killing you. Unfortunately it's my bottom hand. If it was my top hand, it might be a little bit different, but being the bottom hand is the power hand and the hand that has to stay on the bat, so we got to make a determination. If I got up there and try to swing right now -- as painful as it is, and as loose as that ligament is -- you really jeopardize really tearing it. Just need some healing time, really is all it's got to have.
Sox pitchers threw a total of 203 pitches in the game. At 4 hours and 21 minutes, it was the longest nine-inning game of the season for the Sox, and the longest since a 4:21 game on April 25, 2009, against the Yankees.
Jon Lesters 43 pitches in the first inning are a first-inning career high for him. His previous was 34 on Sept. 1, 2010, in Baltimore. It is the third time in his career he has thrown 40 or more pitches in an inningwith second innings on Aug. 18, 2006, against the Yankees (41 pitches), and June 27, 2006, against the Mets (40).
This was the Sox' first series loss to the Yankees since losing two of three last August, in New York. The Sox have an 11-4 series lead this season.
The Sox failed to win or split a series for just the third time in 17 series since July 1.
David Ortizs second-inning single extended his season-high hit streak to 15 games. It is his longest streak with the Sox and the second-longest of his career since a 19-game streak in 2002 with the Twins. In his current streak he is batting .500 (28-for-56) with seven doubles, seven home runs, 16 RBI, and nine walks.
Dustin Pedroias fourth-inning two-run homer was his 18th of the season, a new career high, and the most by a Sox second baseman since Felix Mantilla's 18 in 1965.
Felix Doubront is the first of the September call-ups. He will be working out of the bullpen and was available Thursday night. He made three relief appearances for the Sox in April, spanning 2 23 innings, posting a 6.75 ERA. He has made 18 appearances, 16 starts, for the PawSox, going 2-5 with a 4.22 ERA. His last two outings were in relief. His season has been interrupted by several injuries including a hamstring strain and a groin strain.
Its been a little bit disjointed, manager Terry Francona said of Doubronts season. Hes had a lot of interruptions. Nothing serious. But he throws the ball very well. We gave him starters innings just to accelerate his maturity as a pitcher. Now hell throw out of the bullpen for us in September. Hes done it for us before. Hes kind of a unique young guy, another one of our young guys that weve come to rely on and we won't hesitate to use him.
Tim Wakefield is scheduled to start Wednesday in Toronto.
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway is expected to be called up Monday.
Kevin Youkilis, on the DL since Aug. 18 with a low back strain, is expected to be activated Friday.
Clay Buchholz, on the DL since June 17 with a lower back strain, threw again Thursday, making 35 throws from 60 feet.
Bobby Jenks, on the DL since July 8 with left back tightness, is still feeling the effects of the illness that scratched him from his rehab game on Saturday with Single-A Salem. He is not ready to throw, Francona said.
Phil Mickelson, a left-handed golfer, took batting practice and threw out the first pitch right-handed. Tim Wakefield caught for him.
Maureen Mullen is on Twitter at http:twitter.commaureenamullen.