# Jacoby Ellsbury is on the field now shagging some batting practice, but he will not play today. His right shoulder will be evaluated. "I think he's hoping for tomorrow," manager Terry Francona said. "I guess I am, too. We'll see today."
# If you watched last night's game, you saw the comical, NESN-captured image of Jonathan Papelbon sleeping in the bullpen while resting his chin on his hand. Papelbon had a valid excuse -- he had food poisoning yesterday, which he caught at Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek's charity poker event Monday night. Papelbon was not available to pitch yesterday, Francona revealed. Papelbon was so dehydrated that a team doctor considered taking him to the hospital. He feels better today and could pitch tonight.
# John Smoltz will pitch his final rehab outing tomorrow with Triple A Pawtucket in Syracuse, N.Y. It will be a "full-fledged" outing, Francona said. Smoltz has already reached the point where he is competing, not merely rehabbing, and he will not have a required pitch count tomorrow. "I think he?s probably already there," Francona said.
# Smoltz's imminent return means the Red Sox will have six starters for five spots; John Farrell said recently that the Sox have not discussed a six-man rotation. Francona has discussions what to do with Smoltz with Farrell and Theo Epstein, but he didn't reveal the content of those discussions. "Those things have a way of working themselves out," Francona said.
# The Red Sox selected Daniel Bard?s brother, Luke Bard, out of Charlotte (N.C.) Christian High School in the 16th round this afternoon. He has committed to Georgia Tech as a pitcher.
# What happens to Nick Green -- who is starting his fourth straight game -- when Jed Lowrie returns? Francona said he hasn't started thinking about that, but because Green has played well this year, "that'll be a nice problem to have," Francona said.
# If you watched last night's game, you saw the comical, NESN-captured image of Jonathan Papelbon sleeping in the bullpen while resting his chin on his hand. Papelbon had a valid excuse -- he had food poisoning yesterday, which he caught at Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek's charity poker event Monday night. Papelbon was not available to pitch yesterday, Francona revealed. Papelbon was so dehydrated that a team doctor considered taking him to the hospital. He feels better today and could pitch tonight.
# John Smoltz will pitch his final rehab outing tomorrow with Triple A Pawtucket in Syracuse, N.Y. It will be a "full-fledged" outing, Francona said. Smoltz has already reached the point where he is competing, not merely rehabbing, and he will not have a required pitch count tomorrow. "I think he?s probably already there," Francona said.
# Smoltz's imminent return means the Red Sox will have six starters for five spots; John Farrell said recently that the Sox have not discussed a six-man rotation. Francona has discussions what to do with Smoltz with Farrell and Theo Epstein, but he didn't reveal the content of those discussions. "Those things have a way of working themselves out," Francona said.
# The Red Sox selected Daniel Bard?s brother, Luke Bard, out of Charlotte (N.C.) Christian High School in the 16th round this afternoon. He has committed to Georgia Tech as a pitcher.
# What happens to Nick Green -- who is starting his fourth straight game -- when Jed Lowrie returns? Francona said he hasn't started thinking about that, but because Green has played well this year, "that'll be a nice problem to have," Francona said.
