ST. PETERSBURG, Fl.—The idea of putting Alfredo Aceves in the starting rotation has been discussed, manager Terry Francona acknowledged Saturday, but he continues to maintain that would leave the Sox with too big a hole in their bullpen.

“We’ve talked about it,’’ Francona said Saturday, a day after John Lackey lasted just three innings and gave up five runs, his ERA climbing to 6.30, the highest among all major-league qualifiers and almost a full point higher than the runner-up, Brian Duensing of the Twins.

“He’s a pretty good pitcher, I’ll acknowledge that I think he can start for us. I don’t know, we’re at a point in the season—again, we may get to the point where we have to do it, who knows?’’

Francona said he considered it “kind of miraculous” that Aceves has thrown as many pitches as he has (1,505, most by any pitcher who made at least 70 percent of his appearances in relief). The right-hander is 9-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 45 appearances, including 4 starts.

“But if you send him out there and he starts a game and say he has a long inning and goes just three or four innings, that’s kind of where we are now sometimes,’’ Francona said, “and then you don’t have him (in relief). He’s been the one guy, we’ve actually won some of those games (with Aceves relieving).

“If we don’t have him in the bullpen, I’m not sure where we’d go right now. It’s not just the idea of him starting because he can do that. I don’t know how you replace him in the bullpen.’’
Francona said that John Lackey, who sustained a bruised left calf when hit by a comebacker Friday, is expected to be able to make his next start, which would come Wednesday at home against Toronto. As for Erik Bedard, who was skipped a start because of a sore left knee and now is dealing with a mild lat strain, Francona said he didn’t think it “realistic” that the left-hander would be able to make his next start.