Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Melancon and pitching coach Bob McClure worked on the side Tuesday afternoon on correcting a few mechanical flaws, which, obviously, didn't produce better results.
"My side work was good today," maintained Melancon. "I was reaching out and extending and keeping the ball down. I wanted to take that into the game but sometimes, you don't want to outthink yourself out there. You have to do what you know how to do and not worry about working on stuff in the game."
When it was noted to Valentine that Melancon has options remaining, Valentine wouldn't rule out a trip to the minors to get the reliever straightened out.
"At this point," said Valentine, "you have to consider everything."
CSNNE | Valentine doesn't rule out trip to minors for Melancon
With Mark's ERA at a tidy 49.50, something has to be figured out. You can't find much lower-leverage situations than the one he saw yesterday -- entering a completely hopeless game, at home -- so maybe he does need some seasoning on the farm.
It's definitely troubling. We all know about the difficulty of moving from the NL to the AL. And we all know that Boston is a slightly different baseball town than Houston. It reminds me of Bill Simmons' podcast a week back where he referenced one of his sources inside the organization saying they knew right away in Spring Training that Melancon didn't have the makeup to close. Maybe the Jed Lowrie trade was a bad idea after all.
That said, it would be foolish to give up on the guy after four appearances. Maybe Pawtucket is the place to cure his ills. It would have been nice to know that a few days ago before DFAing Michael Bowden, though.
On page 2, some actual good news for this team. I promise.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who suffered a subluxation of his right (non-throwing shoulder) last Friday, had his MRI exams read by noted California orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum and will not need immediate surgery, manager Bobby Valentine said Tuesday.
"There was a consensus of opinion on both the damage and how to proceed," Valentine said of the consultation with Yocum.
"He had some hand manipulation for range of motion. They're trying to take it slowly to get it better. I don't know that there is anything on the horizon other than the normal treatment and see how he does day by day," Valentine said.
ESPNBoston | Jacoby Ellsbury won't need surgery
Of course, the key word in this snippet is "immediate" -- he doesn't need immediate surgery, but keep an eye out for it if rehab isn't going well. Then we might lose him for even longer.
But I promised to focus on the good side of this, which is: It's always better to avoid going under the knife if you can. He's a young guy and should be able to heal well. Hopefully he can stay strong mentally during the process and come back as the guy we've seen (you know, in the good times).
And hopefully Carl Crawford can get back soon and help take some of the pressure off. Cause this Cody Ross-Jason Repko-Ryan Sweeney tandem leaves something to be desired.
CSNNE | Lester after rough night vs. Rangers: "I flat out stunk" | Red Sox blown away by Rangers, 18-3 | ESPNBoston | Lester makes no excuses after poor outing | Melancon after shelling: "I'll figure it out" | Rangers pile up 18 runs, 21 hits in rout of Red Sox | Kevin Youkilis over Bobby V spat | Globe | Tee time | Eight was enough | Youkilis is poised to move past controversy | Herald | Red Sox loss so bad it's hard to put in words | Amid drama, Youk tries to move on | September vibe to April rout | Melancon on the outs | Good news for Jacoby
