Red Sox Features On wbztv.com
Mar 21, 2008 10:58 am US/Eastern
Red Sox With Roster Decisions To Make In Japan
TOKYO (WBZ) ―
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TOKYO - MARCH 20: David Ortiz (L) of the Boston Red Sox arrives at Tokyo International Airport on March 20, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. Boston Red Sox play their MLB opening games against Oakland Athletics on March 25 and 26 in Tokyo.
Coco Crisp is getting better, Mike Timlin is getting worse and Red Sox manager Terry Francona still has some roster decisions to wrestle with before Tuesday's opener against the Oakland Athletics.
Both teams must set an active roster of 25 players by Tuesday. Boston brought 31 players on the trip to Japan on Thursday, including Curt Schilling, who is on the 60-day disabled list with a shoulder injury.
Crisp was limited to two major league exhibition games in Florida because of a groin injury that cut short his competition with rookie Jacoby Ellsbury for the center field job.
"His last two days were so good that at least we think he's probably available," manager Terry Francona said Friday.
The Red Sox play exhibition games Saturday against the Hanshin Tigers and Sunday against the Yomiuri Giants before facing Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday. They resume the regular season in Oakland on April 1 and complete the series the next day.
"When we get to Oakland I'm hopeful that kind of all bets are off," Francona said. "Like, `OK, let's go play baseball."
Crisp told Francona on Thursday that he felt rusty but "unless he feels something (wrong physically), he'll probably have to be active."
Timlin is one of the relievers Francona expected to have on the 25-man roster before he hurt his finger in an exhibition game Wednesday in Fort Myers, Fla., between minor league teams of Boston and Minnesota. A ball hit to him caused a cut in the ring finger of his right hand that needed two stitches, Francona said.
He didn't say if Timlin would be able to play in Japan.
The Red Sox can activate all 30 players for the exhibition games but only 25 for the games against Oakland.
WBZ's Dan Roche is in Tokyo covering the Red Sox. You can read all about in his
blog.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Red Sox Opening Day Roster
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