By Joe McDonald
and Daniel Barbarisi
Journal Sports Writers

It appears Red Sox outfielder Rocco Baldelli is heading to the disabled list with a hamstring injury. As a result utility man Jeff Bailey has been recalled to Boston for precautionary reasons.

The Red Sox have not made an official announcement. According to manager Terry Francona, the club will wait to see how Baldelli feels Tuesday morning.

"I hate to hear that Rocco got hurt. I don't know the details of it, but I hate to hear that," said Bailey.

A balky left hamstring kept Baldelli out of the team's series at Oakland last week, but he was penciled into the lineup Monday morning in right field and said he was ready to go.

In the third inning, he hit a long fly ball to the warning track, which Nick Markakis couldn't bring in, and Baldelli motored around the bases, reaching third on what was ruled a three-base error.

Baldelli remained at third while Jason Bay walked and Mike Lowell struck out, but returned to the dugout after the inning and did not come out for the fourth inning. Chris Carter replaced Baldelli in right.

"He's sore," Francona said. "We'll know more tomorrow. It had been bothering him this week and he got to the point where he really felt pretty good today; then he was going around second and it grabbed at him a little bit.

Baldelli was hitting .231 with three singles, one RBI and two runs scored when he went down.

As Baldelli was removed from the game in Boston, Bailey was playing left field for the PawSox and was also taken out and replaced with Zach Daeges. In the clubhouse after Pawtucket's 2-0 victory over the IronPigs, Bailey was receiving handshakes and hugs from his teammates about his call up.

Bailey had a great camp this spring training and was in the running for the last roster spot in Boston. However, Carter won the spot and Bailey was sent to Pawtucket. He's not worried where he plays, as long as he can contribute when needed.

"You still have to try to get better, doesn't matter where you're at," he said. "I've been playing the outfield the last couple of days and I'm trying to get better. You play and you don't cry about it. You just go and play. I know I'll be back here more than one more time, I imagine. That's perfectly fine with me. I have no problem with that."

The 30-year-old infielder/outfielder can play the corner positions in the outfield and first base. This is his sixth year in the Red Sox organization.