MLB - Sports Rumors - Boston Red Sox

Brad Penny(notes) has been mentioned in trade rumors often during the month of June. The question is, will the Boston Red Sox keep the veteran right-hander?

"We didn't sign him to trade him,'' Red Sox manager Terry Francona said yesterday of Penny, who will take the mound this afternoon when the Red Sox and Braves conclude a three-game series at Turner Field. "We signed him to win. He's worked hard. I only think it's going to continue to get better.''

The Boston Globe wrote: Penny has been far more valuable to the Red Sox than people might think. And though the Red Sox almost certainly will have needs when the July 31 trading deadline approaches, Penny has more value to them in a Boston uniform than he does in anyone else's.

According to the Globe, since his sloppy first start, Penny has made 12 starts and posted a 4.12 ERA, a number that ranked 27th among qualifying American League pitchers during that span, entering yesterday. On average, that means there have been fewer than two pitchers per team who have pitched more effectively than Penny, a group that excludes every Red Sox starter except Beckett (3.48 ERA).

Source: Boston.com

Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell(notes) is hoping the pain in his hip doesn't force him onto the disabled list, according to the Boston Globe.

The Globe reported that Lowell is likely to have an injection of Synvisc, a lubricant that is supposed to ease pain. Lowell might get the injection Monday in Boston. It would result in him being out about 24 hours post-injection.

As for Lowell sitting all three games in Atlanta, manager Terry Francona said, "I really don't know, we'll see.''

"We had talked about [the injection] briefly before, doing it on the offday,'' Lowell said. "But I think it was just so tight that it might be better to bump that up and see what happens.''

Lowell was waiting on word from Dr. Thomas Gill for a definitive course of action. The Sox have used Synvisc before, notably for the knees of Keith Foulke(notes) and David Wells(notes), according to the Globe.

Source: Boston.com

There is nothing wrong with David Ortiz's(notes) eyes, swing or wrist lately. Ortiz was returned to the clean-up spot by Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona Thursday night.

It was the first time the Red Sox's left-handed slugger has batted fourth since May 13, 2005, according to MLB.com. The move to fourth was simply a product of manager Terry Francona giving first baseman Kevin Youkilis(notes) the night off. Jason Bay(notes), who has been Boston's main cleanup hitter of late, occupied the three-hole in place of Youkilis.

With the Red Sox playing under National League rules for six straight games this week, Francona has had to rotate Youkilis, Ortiz and Mike Lowell(notes) into two spots in the order. Ortiz got Tuesday off, followed by Lowell Wednesday and Youkilis for the finale of the three-game set against the Nationals.

However, Francona's ease in putting Ortiz in the cleanup spot — even if it was just for a night — demonstrates how dramatically the slugger has emerged from his epic slump over the first two months of the season, according to MLB.com.

"It's great," said Francona. "I'm thrilled. The other thing is he's willing. How many guys have you seen who have done what David has who will just hit where you ask him to. I appreciate that. It makes it easier on us."

Source: MLB.com

Shortstop Jed Lowrie's(notes) rehab took a detour Tuesday night when the shortstop for the Boston Red Sox was struck by a pitch during a minor league at-bat, according to the Boston Globe.

In his first at-bat, Lowrie was hit in the back of the knee with a pitch. He remained in the game for another at-bat, singling and scoring a run. But Lowrie's knee stiffened and he left the game.

"I'm hopeful that he'll bounce back and be in there Thursday,'' Francona said. "But I don't know if that's going to happen. He was pretty stiff.''

Source: Boston.com

Matt Holliday(notes) and his family rented a house in Laguna Beach, Calif. last winter and loved it. Could the Holliday family make a the move to Orange County for good in the near future?

According to the Los Angeles Times, Holliday has interest in the Los Angeles Angels. The question: Do the Angels have interest in Holliday?

The Times reported that if Jason Bay(notes) stays with the Boston Red Sox, Holliday would be the best outfielder available in free agency, the one acquisition that would allow the Angels to bid farewell to Vladimir Guerrero(notes) without too much of a fuss.

"I obviously enjoy Southern California," Holliday said. "They're a winning franchise. It's a great place to live. Every guy would be interested in playing for an organization like that."

Beyond that, who knows? Holliday is represented by Scott Boras, whose habit of long-playing negotiations clashes with the quick-strike style of Angels owner Arte Moreno. The Mark Teixeira(notes) sweepstakes, conducted by Boras, left Moreno with a bitter aftertaste.

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Boston Globe called Brad Penny(notes) the most-watched pitcher in baseball. Wednesday night in Philadelphia was no different as scouts from several clubs took notes from behind home plate.

According to the Globe, the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers have the most interested in the right-hander, for now of the Boston Red Sox. With John Smoltz(notes) ready to join the Boston rotation it is a foregone conclusion that Penny, 6-2, will be moved before the trade deadline.

"He is the best name out there for available starting pitchers,'' said one National League talent evaluator.

His availability remains to be seen. But the scout is right. With Jake Peavy(notes) and Erik Bedard(notes) on the disabled list and the Indians unable to decide whether they'll make Carl Pavano(notes) available, Penny remains a top target, according to the Globe.

The Red Sox so far have elected to stand pat, and the way things are going, they should.

"No, I don't think I'm going to be traded,'' Penny said. "But there's always that chance.''

It's amazing what has transpired for Penny in less than a year. He was virtually a pariah in Los Angeles, where Dodgers personnel couldn't wait for his tenure to end. Yet here it has been 180 degrees different, Terry Francona even commenting last night that it has been "fun to get to know him. He's been a pleasure.''

Source: Boston.com

With John Smoltz(notes) scheduled to make his big-leafue return June 25 against Washington, the Boston Globe reports the Boston Red Sox are considering a six-man rotation for one or two turns.

"It might be for a time or two through, it certainly could happen,'' manager Terry Francona said. "I don't know that we need to make our rotation out two weeks ahead of time. But that wouldn't be the worst thing for a short period of time. Again, not for a long period because guys don't pitch enough. With days off, the All-Star break, you have too many good pitchers that won't pitch enough. But for a short period of time we could live with that, yeah.''

While Smoltz is scheduled to start on a day that would have been Daisuke Matsuzaka's,(notes) the plan is to give some of the pitchers at least one and possibly two days off in the coming week, with the exception of Tim Wakefield(notes).

"We have him in between [Jon ] Lester and [Josh] Beckett, so we can even out hopefully our bullpen a little bit, too,'' said Francona.

Source: Boston.com

The Boston Red Sox may not play the New York Yankees again until August, but the war of words continued, according to the Boston Globe.

Brad Penny(notes) responded to Joe Girardi's accusation that he intentionally hit Alex Rodriguez(notes) with a pitch, saying the Yankees manager should worry about doing his job and not about how Penny pitches, the Globe reported.

"I don't give two [expletives] what Joe Girardi says," Penny said yesterday. "I'm coming inside. I don't care. Anybody can say that. We can say that about the time they hit our guys. I'm just trying to pitch inside. Maybe he should worry about managing and not trying to be the commissioner. Why wouldn't he say that the night before? Don't wait a day, then say it. He should worry about managing and let the umpire crew do their job."

Last Tuesday, Yankees reliever Jose Veras(notes) hit Boston's Jason Bay(notes) with a pitch in the sixth inning, which marked the sixth consecutive game the Yankees had hit a Red Sox batter. Penny's fastball off of Rodriguez's elbow made the tally of batters hit by pitches in the season series Red Sox 9, Yankees 3.

"Penny's control was pretty good, and I thought it was on purpose," Girardi said Friday. "You know, that's all part of baseball, I guess. We hit Bay, and I know Jose did not hit him on purpose. I mean, Jose has struggled with his control. But things like that happen. You expect something could happen in return."

Source: Boston.com

Shortly after the Boston Red Sox put the finishing touches on their eighth consecutive win over the New York Yankees in 2009, Boston owner John Henry used his Twitter account to take a shot at Mark Teixeira(notes).

Henry blamed the Yankees' stream of misfortune on the "MT Curse'' — MT as in Mark Teixeira. According to the New York Daily News, Teixeira isn't very pleased with Henry taking a cheap shot.

"I laughed," Teixeira said. "It's silly. It's actually very silly, it really is. It was so important that this was the first time I heard about it."

Henry and the Red Sox did all they could to get Teixeira in free agency, but the Yankees ultimately landed the coveted first baseman with an eight-year, $180 million deal.

Source: New York Daily News