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Red Sox RHP Tavarez may be pitching for his rotation spot

May 16, 2007 - 1:14 PM Detroit (24-14) at Boston (26-12), 7:05 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox don't have a lot of holes in their team this season. One glaring weakness has been the fifth starter.

Julian Tavarez may be pitching for his spot in the rotation on Wednesday when the Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers.

The veteran sinkerballer has struggled at times this season, a point made more problematic with Jon Lester perhaps closer to a return.

Tavarez (1-4, 6.60 ERA) has not made it out of the sixth inning in any of his six starts this season, and has struggled with runners in scoring position (20.25 ERA) and runners in scoring position with two outs (40.50 ERA).

Lester, who has been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season while he recovers from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, completed his rehab assignments and has been throwing in the bullpen over the last two weeks. A forearm cramp in his final rehab start at Class AAA Pawtucket slowed him a bit, but the 23-year-old lefthander has had no lingering effects from the injury.

The Tigers will counter with lefthander Mike Maroth (3-0, 4.69). The veteran starter broke a four-start streak without a decision last Friday when he earned a win at Minnesota. Maroth yielded just one run and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Maroth will have to figure out a way to retire Jason Varitek and Manny Ramirez. Varitek is 10-for-16 with three homers and Ramirez is 8-for-18 against the lefthander.

The Red Sox took the first game of the series behind a complete game performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka, but dropped Tuesday's contest, 7-2. Magglio Ordonez slammed a three-run home run and Justin Verlander outpitched Tim Wakefield.