Drew could give Red Sox a lift before long
BOSTON -- It might not be long before J.D. Drew is roaming the outfield again for the Red Sox, manager Terry Francona said before Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Drew, who has been on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder impingement since July 20, took swings off a tee for the first time on Friday.
"We'll see how that progresses," Francona said. "I don't think he feels like it's going to be terribly long. From our side of it, he's been down a while. We want to make sure he's not only able to come back, but come back and be productive."
Drew had previously said that his shoulder wasn't allowing him to load his swing properly, and while he was fighting it, taking time off seemed logical. The 35-year-old was hitting .219 and slugging .305 this season -- both of which are career lows.
"When guys are out for a while, you kind of tend to forget about them," Francona said. "We could get him back and get that month or six weeks out him -- what a lift. We haven't seen that yet."
Francona gives Aviles first career outfield start
BOSTON -- The Red Sox acquired Mike Aviles from the Royals with the intention of getting him some playing time in right field.
So when the Red Sox took the field on Saturday vs. powerful left-hander CC Sabathia -- against whom Aviles was 5-for-10 in his career -- manager Terry Francona thought it was perfect timing.
Aviles played the outfield for the first time in his Major League career, batting sixth behind David Ortiz -- effectively splitting up every lefty-swinging hitter in Boston's lineup.
Said Francona: "I spoke to [Aviles] the other day; I said, 'Hey, how do you feel about playing the outfield, most likely right field?' And he came right back at me and said, 'Hey, one thing you need to know about me -- I'm arrogant, and I'm confident.' I said, 'Does that mean you can play right?' He said, 'Yeah.' So with CC pitching, [Darnell McDonald] had done little against him. [We'll] try to get as much offense as we can."
Aviles has been shagging fly balls in right during batting practice over the last week and said he was ready.
"I think it's something you've got to just go out and do," Aviles said. "I feel good. We'll see how it goes. I've been able to have some good at-bats against [Sabathia]. If that's the case, it works for me. It gets me in the lineup. That's the biggest thing, is just trying to get in the lineup and do my part."
Aviles did play some outfield during his college years, but he's spent his first four seasons in the big leagues at second base, third and shortstop.
"This kid is pretty athletic," Francona said. "If he messes up a ball, I'll answer the questions. I just think, moving forward, this has a chance to help us with his versatility. We're a player short right now, so the idea that he can go out there really gives us that extra player."
Saltalamacchia's throws on the mark
BOSTON -- Twice, the Yankees tried stealing second base on Friday, and twice, Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinned a perfect throw to prevent it from happening.
The 26-year-old catcher has now caught 24 basestealers this season, a career high and good for fourth in the American League.
Entering the season, Saltalamacchia had allowed 144 stolen bases in 181 tries, catching just 20 percent of basestealers. This season, he's caught 30 percent (24-for-81), also a career high.
"He's coming up straight up, throwing downhill on a line to second, and it's really exciting," said manager Terry Francona. "He's always had this in him. ... Everything's just coming to him now. It's exciting to watch guys progress like that."
Francona said he's noticed other teams stealing less frequently since Saltalamacchia has improved his defense.
"With scouting the way it is now, we're seeing teams slow down a little bit," Francona said. "The guys that steal are going to steal. It's the guys that don't run -- you don't want them trying to run all the time. That's what was happening to us last year, especially early."
Francona said he thinks Saltalamacchia has benefited from splitting the catching duties with 15-year veteran Jason Varitek. While most catchers this time of year are beat up, the skipper said, the scattered time off has allowed his duo to remain in good health.
"I think the way we've worked, it has actually been pretty good," Francona said. "They've both played enough; I don't think anyone's played too much. I think Salty can handle more, which I think bodes well in the future, but I think it's worked really well."
Worth noting
� Jed Lowrie went 1-for-4 while serving as the designated hitter on Friday night for Triple-A Pawtucket, where he has been rehabbing his strained left shoulder. He's slated to play nine innings at shortstop on Saturday and remains on pace to be activated on Monday.
"It's not like he has to come back and play seven days in a row," manager Terry Francona said. "When he comes back, it'll certainly help [Marco Scutaro], but we can kind of mix and match them both."
� Chih-Hsien Chiang -- whom the Red Sox recently traded to Seattle to acquire Erik Bedard -- was named the Eastern League's Player of the Month for the second time in as many months. The 23-year-old hit .430 (43-for-100) with five home runs, 27 runs scored, 25 RBIs and a .740 slugging percentage in 26 games.
� With an 0-for-4 night on Friday, Adrian Gonzalez snapped a 14-game hitting streak that had raised his batting average from .337 to .356. While he's hitting just .211 in 10 games against the Yankees this year, Gonzalez entered Saturday with 11 RBIs against New York -- the most of any hitter against the Bronx Bombers this season.
� Entering Saturday's 4:10 p.m. ET start, the Sox were 25-9 in day games this season, second to just the Yankees (31-7).
� The Sox entered Saturday's tilt one game behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East -- the first time Boston has been in second in nearly a month (July 7).
Eric Berry Tim Tebow Kyle Orton Demaryius Thomas Ndamukong Suh
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