Sox Beat: Beckett's blistering start interrupted

BOSTON – JOSH BECKETT entered his start yesterday in pursuit of Red Sox team history. He ended his outing being chased by his past.

Three days short of his 27th birthday, Beckett received an unwelcome surprise in the fourth inning as he tore the skin on his right middle finger. Blisters on that same digit forced Beckett to the disabled list six times from 2002-05, when he was a member of the Marlins.

"It's not something I can control," Beckett shrugged after his team's improbable six-run, ninth-inning comeback produced a 6-5 win that spared him a first loss of the season. "Anytime something happens to that finger, it just brings back so many old memories."

Mindful of those memories, the Red Sox issued an immediate clarification that Beckett was not experiencing blisters, but had instead suffered an "avulsion," or skin tear. All the same, when the pitcher made a bee-line from the mound to the clubhouse after just four innings, the sense of anxiety at Fenway Park was understandable.

Boston’s Julio Lugo, center, is mobbed by teammates Wily Mo Pena, left, and J.C. Romero after Lugo’s infield hit brought home the tying and winning runs in the ninth inning of the Red Sox’ 6-5 win overn Baltimore yesterday. (AP)

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Until yesterday, Beckett had been injury-free with the Red Sox, achieving career highs in starts (33) and innings (2042„3) last year and dominance (7-0, 2.66 ERA) this year. This spring, Beckett credited his health to the team's realization that his blister outbreaks were a symptom of eczema. He is taking a medication called CoQ10 to keep the condition under control.

But when he faced Kevin Millar in the top of the fourth inning, a first-pitch curveball damaged a familiar area. As Beckett finished the inning with eight more pitches, his finger rebelled.

"My skin broke and it just ripped more and more each pitch. It is not a blister. My skin just tore," said Beckett. "We have to get it to dry out because you have fresh skin, and then we have to toughen it up."

Beckett's departure occurred at a time when he verged on unhittable, his curve as nasty as it had been all year. Despite a two-run yield in the first, Beckett fanned seven in his four innings, and didn't allow a hit over his final 10 outs.

Such performances have been typical for the 26-year-old, whose ability to mix pitches played a primary role in his brilliant start. Yet his departure from yesterday's game offered a reminder of the physical toll taken by the off-speed pitches -- particularly the curveball --that have been so much a part of his success this year.

"It is a very, very similar thing (to the blisters). The root cause is in the same thing. It's probably from his grip on the ball," said Dr. Rany Jazayerli, a dermatologist in the Chicago area who writes for Baseball Prospectus. "Until this area is completely healed, the curveball is probably going to be a bigger issue than the other pitches."

The Sox are certainly mindful of that reality, and with an eight-game lead in the Americal League East, they can afford to take a conservative approach. Beckett pronounced his hope that he would make his next start, but acknowledges that it doesn't make sense for him to return to the mound until his skin heals completely, thereby allowing him to use his full arsenal.

"What the timetable is, I'm not sure what we are looking at. Hopefully I can make my next start, but that is a big hopefully," Beckett said. "If (being healthy) means missing one (start), it's a long season."

"I don't think there's any need to panic or overreact," said Sox manager Terry Francona, "but I do think we need to use caution, which we will. We're not going to know for a couple of days how that next start works."

Jazayerli, based on his experience with similar injuries, suggested that the skin ordinarily takes a week to two to recover. A similar condition has permitted Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman to make just one start this month. Accordingly, the dermatologist would not be surprised if the Sox place Beckett on the disabled list to ensure that a potentially chronic condition becomes fully healed.

"The Red Sox would be better off letting this heal completely, even if it means a 15-day D.L.," said Jazayerli. "The Red Sox might be better off losing him for two weeks in May than for two weeks in September or October."

It remains premature to assess whether that measure will be necessary. All the same, for a single day, Beckett's brilliant start to the 2007 season encountered its first hiccup. The Sox will hope that the affliction is a brief one. But they will not rush Beckett's return at the expense of his approach.

"Freak things happen, I guess, when things are going good," said Beckett. "These things, if you don't address them immediately, it ends up being a month-long deal. ... As soon as it heals, I'm going to be back out there--as soon as it heals and I'm able to throw all my pitches effectively."

Alex Speier covers the Red Sox for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.