Dustin Pedroia won't make it back to Boston in time to take a spot in the starting lineup as the Red Sox try to re-find their footing against the Rays.
While the top of the order stays almost stubbornly unchanged--see the Holt - Pedroia substitution dynamic mentioned yesterday--the bottom seems to be in a state of relatively steady flux as John Farrel shuffles about the long-cold Shaw and the suddenly cool Leon. Young, for his part, has actually done his job quite well since returning to action, holding an OBP approaching .500. But right now Boston's problems lie more in scoring baserunners then acquiring them in the first place.
Also, of late, in not allowing a bunch, with neither Wright nor Rodriguez having performed terribly well in their returns, and the bullpen having been just absolutely decrepit. Last time out--in this very matchup, in fact--Porcello gave the Sox the sort of start they need, allowing three runs in 7.2 innings of work. The Sox just didn't score enough to make that hold up.
The Red Sox very much need to get back to winning in a hurry, and they very much need to actually take advantage of these series against Tampa Bay much as they have failed to do for most of the season. The Red Sox are closer to being in the division lead than they are to being out of the playoffs entirely, but two back on the former and three up on the latter isn't really where they want to be in either race.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.