The Red Sox, coming off their trip to Japan, conducted a light, optional workout Thursday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Twenty players, most of the regulars showed up at the stadium. The only non-pitcher players who did not attend the workout were Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp, and Bobby Kielty. The team will have a 40-man roster this weekend, including 14 from down on the farm.
Pitcher Bartolo Colon had a root canal yesterday, but is still expected to throw 60 pitches in tonight’s exhibition game against the Dodgers.
Notes: While his teammates were in Los Angeles, Red Sox righty Josh Beckett pitched for Double-A Portland yesterday at the Red Sox minor league complex in Fort Myers against the New Britain Rock Cats, the Twins’ AA affiliate. Beckett threw 47 pitches, 33 for strikes, in four innings of work. He allowed one hit, a single to lead off the fourth inning, and struck out six. Beckett, who is suffering from a sore back, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday retroactive to March 19. He is eligible to come off the disabled list on April 3, the day before the Sox play their first game against the Blue Jays. J.D. Drew returns home to Dodger Stadium tonight. But he probably won’t be in the Red Sox lineup and isn’t expected to play until the first game against Oakland.
