Youkilis All Done for the Year
The Boston Red Sox had a decent outlook at the start of this season. Pitching looked good. The signing of veterans and a mix of young mid-career types had the Sox poised for another run at the playoffs.
However, injuries have stacked up and today, news came down that arguably the most productive player on the team — at the plate and in the field — will have season-ending surgery tomorrow on his right thumb tomorrow in Cleveland.
Youkilis will be immobilized for six weeks before the docs will check him out. It's been reported that he'll be ok to play by the start of spring training.
“I think Youkilis was pretty resolved to the fact this was probably what was going to happen,” Francona told Boston.com. “It was pretty consistent what [the doctors] were telling him. He had an idea of what was going to happen.”
Youkilis' injured thumb — a torn abductor muscle — should be fully healed without any lingering issues, according to Francona.
“That’s why we’re doing it now,” Francona told Boston.com. “If he had to play and did something to further injured that, then you running the risk that [the thumb] doesn’t come back the way you want it to. We don’t need that.
"We had talked the last couple of days. I would have a tougher time sending him out there knowing he might really hurt himself."
With Youkilis out, Mike Lowell will be used the most at first base. Francona told Boston.com that he expects Lowell to play at the position in at least four of the next five games.
“As tough as it is to lose Youkilis, I think we’re pretty fortunate,” Francona told the Globe. “I don’t know how many teams can take a Youkilis out and put a Lowell in. I guess that’s how I prefer to look at it. I don’t know any other way.
Either way, the loss of Youkilis puts yet another dagger into the heart of Sox fans who were hoping the team would regain some health before the season was a total loss.
Not looking that way now.
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