Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew hopes to begin swinging a bat as soon as he recovers from a left shoulder injury.
In the meantime, he is loving what he sees from his replacement, Josh Reddick.
"He's been great, man," Drew said. "He's probably one of the most improved young players I've ever seen. Went from one extreme to another. It's been fun to watch."
Even if Drew were healthy, Reddick still may have been given the bulk of the playing time in right. He's been that good, while Drew has struggled almost from the start of the season.
It seems as though the shoulder issue is the primary reason, as it's been around since the start.
"Had some of the effects in spring training, first month of the season," said Drew, who was placed on the disabled list earlier this week while sporting a .219 average and just four home runs. "I felt it for awhile. One of those things that has slowly, gradually taken the strength out of the shoulder, caused some bad habits."
Drew said there is no timetable for his return, but he is confident in there actually being one at some point this season. He was given a shot in the shoulder that should show results in the coming days. After that, he can progress to hitting off a tee, soft toss and back into the cage, akin to the schedule Jed Lowrie has been on in recent weeks.
"I don't really have a timetable. It could be soon," Drew said. "As soon as I find the strength gains and start going back out hitting again, I'll be fine."
