Beckett to visit Dr. Andrews

Aug 28, 2008 - 10:00 PM BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Josh Beckett won't be returning this weekend after all.

The Boston Red Sox ace righthander, whose next start has been pushed back twice due to lingering numbness and discomfort in his throwing arm, was scheduled to start Friday against the Chicago White Sox. However his return has been put on hold once again.

To make matters worse, Beckett faces an even scarier prospect - a visit to Dr. James Andrews.

"I think scary is probably a good word for it," Beckett told the Boston Globe. "I've had some sleepless nights thinking about all kinds of stuff. You generally think the worst."

While the rest of his teammates will be heading home to start a six-game homestand, Beckett will head to Alabama on Friday to get his arm examined by Andrews, the renowned orthopaedic surgeon who has performed a number of procedures on pitchers.

Beckett seemed ready to return to the mound after going through a smooth and painless side session on Tuesday. However, the Red Sox have done an about-face and will now take added precautions.

"I think the best word I can use is we're just trying to get some closure," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the Globe. "We never want to send anyone out there that's not 100 percent. We're no more pessimistic about him today."

Beckett has claimed that the discomfort in his arm has been a recurring problem throughout the year, but only recently has it become enough of a problem that he needed time off.

"We're trying to figure out what's causing it and go from there," Beckett told the Globe. "Right now it's just day-to-day and I'm dealing with it. We have a great medical staff. We're trying to be cautious.

"We're not talking about just the end of a season, but about the end of a career. Some organizations would do anything they could to get a player back out there. I appreciate what they are doing for me here."

Daisuke Matsuzaka will start in Beckett's place on Friday.

Beckett is 11-9 with a 4.34 ERA this year. His last start was August 17, when he was hammered for eight hits and eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings of a 15-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"We've kind of been without him for a little while, so we've had a little time to absorb it," catcher Jason Varitek said. "We're going to continue to go out and try and find ways to get outs. If he's able to pitch again, that's an extra bonus."