Timely? … Not so


Photo courtesy of the Boston Herald

Everything that follows beneath the Red Sox graphic was originally put together early Wednesday morning, before Mother Nature interfered with last night's Red Sox-Yankees match-up.

It appears now that Jon Lester may not be called up for Saturday's game with the Rangers. Moreover, as today's Globe reports,

Craig Hansen, who has started his last four appearances with Pawtucket, probably won't pitch in the Red Sox rotation anytime soon.
``I don't think so," [Manager Terry] Francona said, when asked about the possibility. ``Some of it's going to depend on how we use our pitching. [It] is going to depend on weather, injuries, doubleheaders, and how we end up getting through the next couple days."
Hansen, though he has been starting, pitched only 15 2/3 innings in those four starts, averaging fewer than four innings."

It also appears that, based on David Pauley's strong outing on Tuesday night earned him at least one more in the bigs, Sunday against . Francona hinted that a return to the minors might still be on the plate, depending on any among a number of rotation variables:

"I think we'd like to see him make another start," Francona said. "I'm not sure this is the best place for development, but I think it's somewhat good for him, just because of the way he handles things."

The Herald's Jeff Horrigan observes that Pauley's near future is linked with that of the ever-erratic Matt Clement. Blogger Bostonist observes, with a certain earthy poetry:

For those who watched the game last night, you would have seen Pauley sit Giambi and A-Rod down every time they came up - putting up a pair of 0-fers. Throw most rookies out there and they're messing themselves.

Anywho … here's some stuff that was timely about 36 hours ago …