Projo Sox Blog

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Newly acquired Mark Kotsay is getting the start in right field Friday night and Coco Crisp is in center, so that leaves Jacoby Ellsbury as the odd man out in the new three-man outfield weave that manager Terry Francona is employing for the time being.

Kotsay, though, also took some grounders at first base. Francona said Kotsay has 24 games of big-league experience at the position and that he likely would start Kotsay at first Saturday night, presumably with Crisp and Ellsbury in the outfield.

Francona said each of those three players likely would play in two of the three games this weekend against the White Sox, the first-place team in the American League Central. And, given Kotsay's back woes, Francona thought it would be best to play Kotsay in the two night games as opposed to playing in a night game Saturday night and following it up with a game during the day on Sunday.

Also figuring into the playing-time equation is that first baseman Sean Casey (neck) remains out of action because of a neck injury. Casey had an MRI Friday, but the results haven't been made known.

 Tags  coco crisp jacoby ellsbury mark kotsay sean casey

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