Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have lost Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, and J.D. Drew to injury this season. Drew has been in and out of the lineup throughout his career, so his absence can be taken with a grain of salt. But the injuries that currently hamper the other four stars should leave Boston helpless.

A shipment of corkboard arrived at Fenway Park today, with a note from New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman.

Victor Martinez was hit with two foul tipped balls on Sunday, the first off Pablo Sandoval’s bat in the second inning, then off the bat of Andres Torres in the third, which broke a bone in the tip of V-Mart’s left thumb.

The Boston Red Sox All-Time Starting Rotation

Imagine you are responsible for selecting a fantasy starting rotation and pitching staff to represent the Boston Red Sox. Your staff would have to face the fantasy staffs of all the other major league teams. Who would make your rotation? Who would you select for back up and relief roles?

It's almost unbelievable to comprehend, but the Boston Red Sox have suffered yet another injury—their third in two days, in fact.

Although pitching has dominated the headlines and the landscape of Major League Baseball this season, there have still been some fairly potent lineups in the first two and a half months across the league, mainly in the AL.

They say pitching wins championships, but it doesn't hurt to have a good offense to go with a good rotation, and as evidenced by this list, having a good offense usually means you have a good team.

So which offenses are the worst in the AL? Which ones have room to improve? Which ones are over-performing?

This article should be called Tulowitzki Two for obvious reasons. For starters, one of the top three second baseman just landed on the DL with a broken foot.

Second, this position, like shortstop, has very few elite players on top, and then a tremendous drop-off in talent and statistical production. It’s important to remember that replacing this kind of player for the long run is a difficult task.

So let’s approach this a little differently than we did with Tulo because it doesn’t sound like Pedroia will be out as long.

Kansas City Royal outfielder David DeJesus has reportedly been on the block for some time now, and the injury-riddled outfield of the Boston Red Sox has been suggested as a possible destination.

Since the beginning of June, the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves have also been linked to trade discussions involving the 30-year-old DeJesus and his mere $4.7 million salary. However, Boston's need is quickly eclipsing that of an offensively soft San Francisco squad and an unpredictable Atlanta club.

Jonathan Papelbon should be looking over his shoulder. At first considered the rock of the Red Sox bullpen, Papelbon is quickly eroding his own reputation and opening the door for the more consistent, if still more raw, Daniel Bard.

Still, despite certain trade rumors to the contrary, this writer is confident that Papelbon won't be dealt this season.

That's not to preclude a move as early as this offseason, particularly if Papelbon continues to struggle shutting the door.

The Boston Red Sox will return to the site of their last World Championship tonight to open a set with the Colorado Rockies, and they will do so without the services of J.D. Drew, who was apparently placed on the disabled list today after tweaking a hamstring last week.

Consider that “the other shoe.”