Losing 2/3 of the starting outfield is a troublesome development. Losing Martinez is an even bigger concern. He is Boston’s No. 3 hitter, a switch-hitting catcher who seemed to be finding his swing in recent weeks. Martinez hit three homers in seven games prior to leaving Monday’s game with a badly bruised toe.
Watching that foul ball drill Martinez in the foot was scary. He certainly could have had a broken bone, like Jorge Posada of the Yankees. Posada was hit by a foul ball and is out for a month.
Instead, Martinez caught a break. X-rays were negative, even though the catcher seemed to be in a lot of pain. It took him a day or so to be able to wear a shoe and put pressure on the toe, but he was available to hit in Tuesday night's game.
The question is, when can he catch?
On Thursday, Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the mound for the Sox and Jason Varitek will be catching — but Tek would’ve caught Dice-K even if Martinez was healthy. Matsuzaka has a 0.60 ERA with Varitek behind the plate this season and an 11.05 ERA when he’s not. Those numbers extend beyond the season, as Matsuzaka's career ERA with Varitek is 3.92 in 71 games. With Martinez, it's 7.89, but that's in just four games.
Varitek (and Francona) were quick to point out that the Sox can’t have pitchers lining up "personal catchers," but that being said, at a moment in time when Dice-K is at a crossroads in his career, the Sox need to give him the best chance to succeed. For the next few starts, that means having Varitek behind the plate.
Tim Wakefield pitches on Friday night, coming off Sunday's eight-inning gem, his first win since before last year’s All-Star break. Varitek has caught Wakefield in the past, just not very often. Since the days of Doug Mirabelli, Wakefield has essentially had his own personal catcher. It was a tradition that carried through Kevin Cash and George Kottaras.
This year, it has been different. Martinez, who has been Boston's starting catcher in 34 of 48 games, has been able to catch Wakefield, and the Sox have used Varitek as a spot starter, letting Martinez have a day off when he needs a break. Now, with Martinez on the sideline, Varitek has caught for two straight nights. Thursday should make three.
What if Martinez isn’t ready for Friday? That’s an important question. The Sox have said they don’t want to call up a third catcher, but they might have to consider it.
