Buchholz hopes for 4-5 starts.

PositionSPORTS

Byline: Bill Ballou

RED SOX 6, RAYS 2

FENWAY PARK, BOSTON

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

T.B. 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 7 1

Boston 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 x 6 12 0

Winning pitcher: Lester (9-6). Losing pitcher: Hernandez (5-11). Att: 34,609.

Now that the grave of King Richard III has been located and it has been proven that Zachary Taylor was not poisoned, the western world's leading unsolved mystery is probably when Clay Buchholz will pitch again.

On Tuesday, back in the Red Sox' clubhouse after visiting Dr. James Andrews in Florida, Buchholz said he hopes he can make four or five more starts before the regular season ends.

Manager John Farrell said simply that the team is optimistic that Buchholz will pitch again some time this season. What could be gleaned from a meeting that Buchholz had with reporters is that he has a strain in the bursa sac of his right shoulder, something he was surprised to find out considering that his strength tests had showed up at 100 percent.

"I didn't know you could have a shoulder strain and still have 100 percent strength," Buchholz said.

This is not, however, a case of Buchholz simply having some residual soreness from his rehab program. He said that Andrews told him he had pushed himself too hard during the recovery and he will have to guard against that on this latest attempt to return to the mound.

One positive aspect of the visit to Andrews, Buchholz said, is that the surgeon told him his shoulder actually looks better than expected considering all the pitches he has thrown through the years.

Ellsbury's night off

Jacoby Ellsbury got the night off, with Shane Victorino taking over in center field, flanked by Mike Carp and Daniel Nava. Stephen Drew returned to the lineup at shortstop, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia doing the catching.

Farrell said when the series began that he would be giving some of his regulars scheduled days off as the week progresses.

Hanrahan makes a visit

Joel Hanrahan was in the clubhouse, making his first visit to his old teammates since having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Hanrahan will not pitch again this season, and is a free agent when it ends, so his Red Sox career may be over.

The reliever said he will be making occasional visits back to Boston in the upcoming weeks.

Farrell on trade deadline

Farrell was asked his daily question about possible trades, what with the non-waiver trade deadline arriving next week. "We don't want that date," he said, "to force us to do something that is not to...

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