Josh Beckett to Have Right Ankle Examined

Josh Beckett is returning to Boston Tuesday to have his right ankle examined by the Red Sox foot specialist.  Beckett injured the ankle during yesterday’s start against the Blue Jay and ultimately left the game in the 4^th inning.

Beckett started out as strong as ever Monday, striking out 5 Blue Jays over the first 3 frames.

But, in the middle of the 4^th inning, Beckett began to experience discomfort in his ankle.  After recording the first two outs, Beckett said he felt the pain while delivering a pitch to Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie.  Beckett threw once more to Lawrie, but by this time was noticeably limping around the mound.

Boston’s training staff and manager Terry Francona met with Beckett, and the right-hander was removed from the game.

Beckett wasn’t sure exactly what caused the injury; he just knew that his ankle really began bothering him on that second to last pitch to Lawrie.

Boston was already hoping to give Beckett a breather as the end of the regular season approached, so they are expected to be extra careful with their ace.  The Red Sox are hoping Beckett’s meeting today will determine the extent of his injury and how long he will be out.

After a rocky 2010 season, Beckett has returned to top form this year.  Over his 26 starts, Beckett is 12-5 with an ERA of 2.54 and miniscule 0.98 WHIP.

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