By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
TORONTO -- Erik Bedard, who on Saturday won his first start since joining the Red Sox, will miss his next start Friday to give his ailing left knee some additional rest.
"It's been sore," said Terry Francona. "He's been dealing with it, but I think it got a little more sore that last couple of innings in the last game. I checked with him after the fifth inning because it looked like he was using a lot of arm.
"After the game, he started talking to the the trainers. The idea is to not have him limp through his last three or four starts, but keep him where he can really help us. So we're going to try to give him a little blow and see if one missed turn will help."
Bedard missed more than a month during the middle of the season while he was still with Seattle, battling a sprained medial collateral ligament.
"We have enough starters," said Bedard, "so it's not going to hurt us. I'll skip a start and see how it feels and get back at it.
"I'm not concerned; it's just sore. I just don't want to make it too bad for later in the season and the playoffs."
Bedard said the knee hasn't got any worse since he arrived from Seattle. He's continued to pitch with a brace on the knee.
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"It's not bad," he said. "It hurt a little more the last start, so we'll take a start off and start fresh. It's only when I pitch. When I walk, it doesn't hurt."
Among the options to take Bedard's place are Kyle Weiland, who was promoted from Pawtucket, or, John Lackey, who would be starting on his normal fifth day.
"We really want to give Beckett at extra day -- the next two times," said Francona. "We'll let him pitch Monday and then we'll kind of assess where we are."
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam