BOSTON -- Aaron Cook makes his first start for the Red Sox on Saturday, but after that, nobody's discussed the plan with him.
"There has been no discussion," said Cook before Friday's game at Fenway Park. "I just know I'm taking the ball on Saturday. And then, whatever happens after that, we'll get ready and go."
Cook was promoted to Boston's active Major League roster on Thursday, and will take the place of Josh Beckett on Saturday, who is suffering from a strained lat.
When asked if he'd be opposed to moving to the bullpen after Saturday's start, Cook said that wouldn't be a problem.
"I wouldn't be opposed," he said. "Pitching here and just helping to contribute in any way, that's what I want to do. But my main focus is tomorrow I've got to go out there, take the ball, and then after that we'll worry about that."
Cook went 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket before being called up. And even though the promotion may have taken longer than he may have liked, Cook is happy to be in Boston.
"It's really nice. This is where I've wanted to be the whole time. And to actually get the call up to be here and actually be with the guys I was with in spring training, to be able to make my first start here is just unbelievable," said Cook.
Boston Red Sox
"I definitely made the right choice," he added. "This is an organization that I wanted to be with. I knew the coaches, I know a lot of players on this team. It definitely was the right choice."
Cook said he let his agent handle his May opt-out clause, while he just worried about his pitching. And after a few years of nagging shoulder injuries in his last couple of seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Cook said his sinker and breaking stuff has been effective for him in the minors.
"I've been working really hard on my sinker, getting late into games, throwing more pitches and innings," said Cook. "And I've been able to use my breaking stuff more effectively too. Once I get guys swinging at the sinker down and away, or the sinker in, then you can mix it up a little bit and just keep them off-beat.
"I just want to go out and give us a chance to win every time I take the ball," he added. "That's kind of what I did in spring training. My goal was to go deep into games and give us a chance to win. With this lineup, if you can keep the other teams to a few runs, we're going to have a really good chance."
Other than his sinker and breaking stuff, Cook credits his consistency -- not any increase in velocity -- for his confidence entering Saturday's start. And having a healthy shoulder helps too.
"I don't even know if you can put the shoulder from last year and the shoulder from this year in the same category," said Cook. "They have a really good shoulder program here, and the training staff has done an excellent job of monitoring everything from day one of spring training. And it's really paid off being patient."
The Red Sox hope the patience pays off for them as well.