The Red Sox may have Kevin Youkilis back Thursday in Detroit, but J.D. Drew could remain on the sidelines.
Manager Terry Francona, speaking after Wednesday's win in Cleveland, expressed doubt that Drew would be available after straining his right hamstring late Tuesday night, an injury that caused the veteran right fielder to sit in the series finale against the Indians.
"I don't think he'll be available tomorrow, but I hope it is not much more than that," Francona said of Drew. "We've got to kind of keep checking him. We'll see. It'll just depend on how quickly he bounces back."
Obviously, Francona is hoping to avoid having to put Drew on the disabled list. Drew had a left hamstring issue for much of 2010, and while he avoided the DL, he did miss chunks of the schedule and seemed to feel the effects of the injury down the stretch.
The 35-year-old Drew hit just .231 after the 2010 All-Star break. He sat for a span of five straight games in June and again in September. This could be a comparable layoff, given Drew's recent history of hamstring problems.
Youkilis sat Wednesday with a sore left hand suffered on a dive in the field the night before. He was looked at by team trainers and the injury was not considered serious.
