Another day, another X-ray by Jared Carrabis
Victor Martinez fractures left thumb


(ESPNBoston.com) -- Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez suffered a fracture on the top of his left thumb and will be evaluated Monday in Boston. Martinez initially injured the thumb in the second inning when a foul ball off the bat of Pablo Sandoval hit off his thumb before striking his left foot. He was hit on the thumb again in the third inning on a foul ball by Andres Torres. Martinez went out to warm up pitcher Jon Lester for the fourth inning but his thumb had swelled up so much he couldn't stay in the game. An X-ray revealed the fracture.

The pessimist in me is screaming at the sky, "Why! Why us! Why now!"

However, the optimist in me is calmly saying, "Better now than in September." After losing several key players for significant amounts of time -- Josh Beckett (back), Jacoby Ellsbury (fractured ribs x2), Mike Cameron (groin), Jeremy Hermida (fractured ribs), Dustin Pedroia (broken foot), Clay Buchholz (hyperextended knee) -- the Red Sox now add Victor Martinez to that list with a fractured left thumb.

While Buchholz is expected to be OK, as the schedule falls in the Red Sox' favor, the Sox may not be as lucky with Martinez.

It looks to be a toss-up for Boston's starting catcher. After the game, manager Terry Francona said, "It's not a given that he'll go on the DL, but it's not a given that he'll be OK, either."

"We'll get him examined tomorrow and we'll see where we go from there," Francona told reporters.

As if they weren't being tested already, the Sox' latest injury will really put them to the test. After losing their ace and their leadoff hitter, Boston faces new challenges after losing their two and three hitters, who just so happen to be perennial All Stars.

In the weeks moving forward, they will rely heavily on the bats of Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre.

Both Ortiz and Beltre homered on Sunday, and Bill Hall was 2-for-4 with an RBI in place of Pedroia.

The Red Sox don't expect Jason Varitek to step in and be an offensive force like Martinez, but in all fairness, the captain has held his own in 2010. Hopefully there's more where that came from, because they're going to need it.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on June 27, 2010

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