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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- So, what future accusations lie in wait for Jon Lester? After spitballs for Clay Buchholz and steroids for David Ortiz, surely there is some manner of chicanery to which we can link the Red Sox left-hander, now 6-0 after breezing to a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays here Wednesday night.

Eavesdropping on the Associated Press? Profiling tax returns for the IRS? Spying in Russia for the CIA? The possibilities are endless for Lester, who just wants you to believe that all he does is come to the ballpark and put up W's. You know what they say: The quiet ones are the ones usually up to the most mischief.

Are we really supposed to take on face value that nine starts into the 2013 season, Lester's status as one of the best left-handers in the American League has been restored, simply by virtue of his ability to execute pitches, an explanation he inherited from Josh Beckett during the prickly right-hander's tenure in Boston?

"He went out and pitched," manager John Farrell said after Lester snapped Tampa Bay's six-game winning streak and ran his record to 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in six starts after a Sox loss this season. "The most encouraging thing is consistency to his changeup and his curveball. They both have very good definition. It's given him four good pitches that he can spread the zone with and take different attack plans, given the hitter. A solid seven innings of work for him here."

It is no accident that Beckett's name surfaces here. With five strikeouts Wednesday, Lester has passed Beckett to rank fifth on the team's all-time strikeout list with 1,110, two more than Beckett. Earlier this season he passed El Tiante, too, and Cy Young himself is next in his sights (1,341).

"I think the biggest thing is I feel really good with my off-speed, my changeup and my curveball," Lester said. "My curveball, it's been a while since it's felt as good as it did tonight."

Lester threw 20 curveballs Wednesday night, 14 of them for strikes, according to Brooksbaseball.net.

ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, E!, Spike, The Food Channel, TruTV and most surely the Boston Globe will soon be sending investigative teams to vet Lester, who is now officially off to the best start of his career, having surpassed the 5-0 start that accompanied his big league debut in 2006, when he was called up in June.

They may want to start with his control. For the second straight start, Lester did not walk a batter, something he was unable to accomplish in any of his 31 starts in 2011. The flirtation he enjoyed with perfection in his last start, when he set down the first 17 batters in a row and finished with a one-hit, complete-game shutout, was not repeated here. Desmond Jennings, the first Tampa Bay batter of the game, lined a single.

But with the luxury of an eight-run lead, the Sox piling on in the third inning with the big blow a grand slam by Stephen Drew, Lester pitched to contact, allowing eight hits, and a couple of runs in the third. The Rays obliged, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position against Lester and relievers Koji Uehara and Jose De La Torre.

Drew walked to lead off the third and scored, and hit a high drive into the right-field seats for the second slam of his career, the first coming off Sox teammate Ryan Dempster, when Dempster was a Cub and Drew a Diamondback on April 28, 2011. He also doubled in the sixth and is batting .348 (16-for-46) in May, with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 12 games.

"He's been swinging with much more consistency," Farrell said. "He's come up with some guys on base, he's driven in some runs. That last couple of nights, the consistency of the timing at the plate is much more there than it might have been when he first came back to us. It's good to see that kind of contribution, that kind of production, out of the bottom third of the order."

It should not go overlooked that in 29 starts at shortstop since returning from concussive symptoms, Drew has committed just one error in 108 chances, matching Elvis Andrus of Texas for fewest errors in the American League. He makes all the routine plays and the occasional outstanding one. Combine his defense with that of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who has yet to make an error in 40 games this season, and you have the makings of a suffocating up-the-middle defense.

Hitting with runners in scoring position was supposed to be a Sox malady, but Wednesday night they were 5-for-11 in such situations, consecutive RBI hits delivered by Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes before Drew unloaded with his grand slam off reliever Jamey Wright.

Wright relieved David Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner, who left with what the team called tightness in his left triceps and is experiencing the kind of reversal of fortune that befell Lester in September 2011 and continued through last season.

Price, a 20-game winner with a 2.56 ERA last season, is now 1-4 with a 5.24 ERA in nine starts this season, with fears that a trip to the disabled list may be looming.

"I haven't ever been on the DL," said Price, who said he felt discomfort while walking Drew to start the third. "This is something I take pride in -- being available every fifth day and being out there for my team. I don't know how that's looking right now. The biggest thing is going to be how I feel tomorrow."

The Sox, losers of nine of their previous 11 until winning Wednesday night, pulled back into a second-place tie with the Orioles (both are 23-17), a quarter of the way through the season. Will Middlebrooks capped off the scoring with an opposite-field home run, his seventh, tying him with Napoli for most on the club.

Both Farrell and Middlebrooks suggested that his collision last week with catcher David Ross might have had unintended consequences, forcing the third baseman to cut down on his swing.

"I was getting kind of big," he said. "I was swinging a little hard and I didn't realize it. Just trying to do a little too much. With that bruise, it kind of slowed me down a little bit and I think it helped."

Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks has been keeping a diary for ESPNBoston.com this season. In his fourth installment, he discusses the loss of Joel Hanrahan for the season, how he and the team are handling their recent struggles, allegations against teammates, and how his mother has influenced him. (--As told to Louise K. Cornetta)

I'll start with the news we got Saturday about Joel Hanrahan needing season-ending surgery [to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm]. It's tough. You don't want to lose anyone. We're all family here. We pull for each other and we don't want to see anyone go down, especially for the whole season. This situation certainly is no fun, but we're behind him and he's certainly in our prayers.

I've been able to dodge serious injury this year -- first in spring training with my wrist and this past week with my ribs when I collided on a foul ball with David Ross. It's my job to go get the ball and take the pressure off the catcher, but that play was on the border of what I take and what he can get. It was a tough ball for either one of us to get. It was a good situation in the game to go for it, and he did also. I probably should have chosen a smaller guy to collide with. Right now I'm sore. I'm bruised up a little bit, but I'm fine.

I want you all to know that there is zero panic here. As much as people think there is, we're 30-something games into a 162-game season. If five or six games go bad, who cares -- that's going to happen. We'll be happy that it was just five or six. Other teams are good. There are other good pitchers and other good hitters. You're going to lose some games. You're playing against other big leaguers. You aren't playing college teams. So it's just part of the game.

For myself, I've definitely gotten a lot of advice via Twitter. I try my best not to read into that stuff. It gets frustrating because no one wants to not do well, especially when you're used to doing well. My teammates have helped me. Pedey [Dustin Pedroia] and David [Ortiz] have told me to stay myself, it won't last, and don't fret over it. I haven't gotten down. I know it's tough, but we've all been through it. It's good to hear good players like that say, "We've gone through that exact same thing." It's going to happen and it's going to happen again. David told me in 2009 he started the year pretty tough. He said, "Dude, it doesn't matter. If you have 20-30 bad games, you have 130 to make up for it. The second half of the season is the most important part anyway." It's refreshing to hear that everything is going to be OK. Like I said, I've gotten frustrated sometimes, but I know the player I am. I know I'm going to come out of it.

The only changes I made during all of this? I got a haircut and I grew a beard. But really, I only grew the beard because I got sick of shaving. I'm not superstitious whatsoever. I don't really have a routine. I get up. I have breakfast. I like to have breakfast because it makes me feel good, but it's not the same thing every day. I like to switch it up. I'm at Fenway by 12:30 or 1 p.m. for a night game, just getting my body ready to play every day to make it through a long season.

On Friday night I stuck with a game plan. Not that I didn't know, but I'm starting to really get a grasp of how guys are going to attack me. Now I'm starting to see that. I can have a plan against guys and not just wonder what they're going to do. Over the last month, teams have been back and forth working me in or working me away. Now guys are staying away. So I can really stick to that plan and give them the inner half of the plate.

This has been a tough time for me. Something that helped me was an ESPN piece called "The Only Disability in Life is a Bad Attitude." I loved it. At the time, it was a tough patch for the team. I decided to tweet that and put it out there. Not only is it for me, but I don't know what other people are going through. So maybe that will help somebody else, too.

Looking back over the last month, I should definitely spotlight some of my teammates:

* When Mike Napoli gets going like he did in April, he's an RBI machine. It's pretty unbelievable to watch. He can easily be one of the best run-producers in the game. When he's hot, it's something to see.

* We have David Ortiz back in our lineup. He is a leader on and off the field for us. For a young guy, he helps me out a lot. He keeps my head in the right place. We talk about hitting and everything you can think of. I'm sure by now you've seen the article by Dan Shaughnessy on Ortiz that questioned his hot start to the season. The reaction from all of us in the clubhouse is we don't like to hear anything negative about teammates, especially when it's not true and especially when there was nothing negative to be written; instead, someone just decided to write it. That's really all I can say about it other than that we have his back and we know the person he is.

* Another teammate who got off to a great start is Clay Buchholz. He was the AL Pitcher of the Month for April and another story I'm sure you all heard about is the allegations made by Toronto broadcasters that he was supposedly doctoring the ball when he pitched. In a way, that brought this team even closer together. It showed us that we have each other's backs. No one is cheating around here. It's rosin. They put that on the mound for everyone to use. It's there for that. A lot of guys put that on their arms so they don't have to go back to the actual bag every pitch. The guys with their sweat, it will stay on their arm. They put it there so they don't have to go to the back of the mound every time. They can just touch it and it will dry out their fingers.

* Right after our Toronto trip we went to Texas, and when we arrived inside, that night's starting pitcher's locker was filled with Vaseline and baby oil and items like that. Who was behind that? I want to say it was Demp [Ryan Dempster], since it was his locker. I believe it was him. It was pretty fun. It was a way to make light of the situation.

* Something else that was funny was a friendly home-run competition between Pedey and Vic [Shane Victorino]. Now, I don't know anything about a home-run contest for the season between Pedey and Vic, but what I do know is a few days ago both had zero home runs. Vic hit a homer. Then a couple innings later Pedey hit one. They got to enjoy it for a couple of innings with Pedey being the one without one.

I haven't had a chance to reflect in this diary yet on the tragedy that occurred here in Boston with the bombings. I learned a lot about the city of Boston through all of that. I learned how strong this city is, obviously Boston Strong. It was really nice to see the city come together. Even in the moment of the crisis, there were just random people pulling guardrails off of people to help. A lot of people would run from that and people were running to it -- that really says a lot about the people of this city.

It was nice to be able to go to the hospitals and bring a smile to these people's faces who have been pretty down, and you really can't blame them. I mean, you're losing a leg or an arm or a family member, even. I can't imagine what they are going through. I really can't. I just want to do my part to help out as much as I can.

Clay was on the mound Saturday against the Blue Jays again. Was that extra incentive to want to win? Absolutely, but you know what? We don't need any extra incentive because we want to win every day. I was hoping we'd carry over a little momentum coming off of the day before, with Jon [Lester] throwing so well [he pitched a one-hitter], but we came up a little short. I thought Jon had a real shot at a perfect game. I stretched as far as I could to catch that ball. I got a couple feet from it. It wasn't that close.

While we have the Blue Jays in town this weekend, we aren't the only Boston team playing Toronto. The Bruins are playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs. Hopefully the B's can close things out. I know it's a big deal for our city. We'd love to see them win it all.

Sunday is Mother's Day. My mom is a teacher. She is back home and I won't be able to be with her, but she will definitely get a call and there will be something delivered to her. I wish I had the words to express how she has been more than influential in my life. She's a great friend. She has helped me through some tough times. She has a strong mind and is a strong person. The more she can rub off on me, the better and happier my life will be.

BOSTON -- The news Saturday morning that one-time Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan was going to undergo season-ending surgery on a torn flexor tendon was not a complete surprise.

However, it helped to close one chapter in the ever-changing Sox bullpen, and allowed most to turn their full attention to what's left. That begins with Andrew Bailey, who is on the disabled list with a biceps strain.

Manager John Farrell said Bailey was expected to throw from 120 feet Saturday and then get out to 150 feet in the coming days. There is a chance Bailey could be back on the mound next week, possibly throwing in simulated games.

Bailey, who could slide back into the closer role now occupied by Junichi Tazawa, has indicated he will not be ready to come off the DL when eligible Tuesday. Farrell did not know yet if Bailey would require a rehab stint in the minors.

As for the condition of the bullpen as a whole, Farrell was quick to express confidence in the patchwork crew: "Healthy. Ready to go."

In other pregame news:

* Farrell confirmed that Will Middlebrooks is going to battle rib issues for some time, but indicated that playing the young third baseman on an everyday basis is not an issue.

"He feels it. It doesn't hinder him in any way," Farrell said. "Like I said, he's finding his way. The fact that there's some discomfort in the ribs, we're not putting him in harm's way. That's been cleared through the medical staff."

Middlebrooks was hurt in a collision with catcher David Ross on Tuesday. He does not have any broken ribs but there is bruising for Middlebrooks, who entered Saturday hitting just .206. Farrell said he sees the growth process as Middlebrooks endures some of his first major roadblocks as a professional.

"There was a 3-4 game stretch where defensively things weren't as sharp as the remainder of the year so far," Farrell added. "I think given the production at the plate he's been able to separate that and play very well defensively with the exception of a couple of games. I think that's the sign of a mature player and at the same time he's spent countless hours with [third base coach Brian Butterfield] just getting his footwork more consistent, buy him some time to get that arm action.

"It's his first full season. He's kinda finding his way."

* Jonny Gomes is back in the lineup after two days on the bench following his five-RBI performance against Minnesota on Wednesday. Farrell stops short of labeling Gomes a strict platoon player, but understands that he is best served against the occasional left-hander and has admired how Gomes has found ways to contribute in limited play.

* A day game after a night game seemed to be a good time for Farrell to give struggling first baseman Mike Napoli a rest. The skipper had conversations about that following Friday's game, but elected to stick with Napoli against Toronto lefty Mark Buehrle.

"Mike has been shown to get into really strong streaks, and there's been others times where we've got to ride that with him," Farrell said.

Expect Farrell to take advantage of an early departure after a day game Sunday and a day off Monday to work in some rest for Napoli. That may include sitting him in the opener of the upcoming series in Tampa Bay, with its unforgiving turf. That would give Napoli two full days and the night of a third to take it easy.

"What he's going through is not something new to him, and yet with tomorrow being a day game and Monday being an off day we're trying to find ways to get back-to-back days off," Farrell said . "We're in a pretty good stretch. There's not an off day until June 3rd, the next one, so we've got to balance some things out going forward."

Since opening May with two monster home runs in Toronto, Napoli is 6-for-34 (.176) with no homers in nine games.

BOSTON -- The third baseman was in the hospital, undergoing tests on his right side. The catcher was gingerly headed home on a sore left knee, planning to ice, he said, "until the wee hours of the morning."

"We’re a little banged up right now," said Red Sox catcher David Ross, one of the two principals in a fifth-inning collision that ultimately knocked two Sox players out of Tuesday night’s 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins, the other being third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

“We’re kind of weathering the storm as far as the team goes," he said. “Just doing our best to get out there."

The injuries have been adding up for the Red Sox at an alarming pace, even when compared with last year’s epidemic of 34 stints on the disabled list for 27 players. On consecutive days this week, the Sox placed two closers on the DL -- Andrew Bailey (strained biceps) on Monday, Joel Hanrahan (strained forearm) on Tuesday -- making it eight players for nine DL stints, as this is the second go-round for Hanrahan.

That’s in just the team’s first 32 games. Last week, outfielder Shane Victorino managed to avoid the DL, but he missed seven games with a lower-back strain.

It’s a familiar story, of course, the calculus of health impacting the fortunes of every team, but that doesn’t make it any easier to endure.

Red Sox manager John Farrell was hopeful that the collision between Ross and Middlebrooks while in pursuit of a foul fly ball (caught by the third baseman) will not have lasting consequences. The impact of the collision carried Middlebrooks into the lower wall beneath the box-seat railing.

Farrell said he thought Ross was day-to-day with what the team was calling a bruised left quadriceps, and was hopeful of a similar outcome for Middlebrooks.

“We don’t think Will’s situation is more than day-to-day at this point," Farrell said. “We’ll certainly get a better read when the test results come back, but my thoughts haven’t gone down that path yet."

Ross said he wasn’t entirely certain of how he got hurt.

“It happened so fast," he said. “Everybody told me that my shinguard, as I hit the ground, it forwarded [sic] over and my knee hit the dirt pretty hard. It’s right on the top of my knee.

“I jammed the top of my kneecap. The top of my kneecap is really sore. There’s some swelling in there. If I wasn’t a catcher, I think I’d be fine, but squatting is a little sore. I couldn’t get up there in case the ball was in the dirt and [I had to] stop it from getting to the backstop. It was best to let Salty [Jarrod Saltalamacchia] get in there. Tough night."

Ross said X-rays came back negative, and Farrell said the knee checked out OK structurally, which is why he was confident Ross would not be out for long. Middlebrooks, however, was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital for X-rays and a CT scan, according to Farrell, even though he batted once more after the collision and did not leave the game until the Sox took the field for the seventh.

According to Farrell, Middlebrooks said he didn’t feel anything during his at-bat in the fifth, when he grounded out to second, and told the manager he could have remained in the game. He was removed, Farrell said, for precautionary reasons.

Ross was asked if he worried that Middlebrooks might have borne the brunt of the collision.

“I hurt pretty good and he came out late, so I hope not," Ross said. “But ribs are like knees, which as a catcher, are nothing to mess around with. You throw, you use your obliques for everything. I just hope it’s the same kind of thing, some kind of bruise."

Middlebrooks was replaced at third by Pedro Ciriaco, who committed fielding errors on the first two balls hit in the eighth, leading to a four-run Minnesota rally that put the game out of reach. Saltalamacchia, who had replaced Ross, also was charged with a throwing error in the inning.

Farrell had noted earlier this year that the Sox did not have great depth at third base, but said that is not a concern at the moment.

“Short term, it’s not a concern," he said. “That was uncharacteristic of Pedro tonight. He’s shown to be a very dependable defender. Two miscues are unlike him."

BOSTON -- A few quick hits before Thursday night’s series opener:

* Since his three-run home run Monday night, Will Middlebrooks is hitless in his last nine at-bats. Since hitting three home runs in Toronto on April 7, Middlebrooks has just five hits in 55 at-bats, an .090 average. He said this is by far the worst slump he has ever experienced.

"We've got to get him back to swinging at strikes, first and foremost," manager John Farrell said. "That will allow that swing to play. He's expanded the zone up, he's expanded the zone off the plate, when he swings at strikes he puts a very consistent swing on a pitch."

* Clay Buchholz will be looking to become the majors’ first five-game winner Thursday night against the American League’s biggest loser, Philip Humber, who was the only AL pitcher with four losses until the Red Sox beat Oakland’s Brett Anderson on Wednesday night.

It’s just over a year to the day that Humber pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox -- April 21, 2012 -- and he has known nothing but misery on the field since. He went 2-4 with a 7.47 ERA in 10 starts after the perfecto, wound up on the disabled list with a sore elbow, and was yanked out of the rotation after four more rough starts in July. Houston, the city where he had starred in college at Rice, claimed him off waivers this winter, but Humber has found a hard road so far -- 0-4, 6.63 ERA, including his last start in which he was charged with eight runs in a third of an inning against the Indians.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated last December, Humber was philosophical about the course his career has taken.

"There are very few guys in our game that are just dominant, and those are the guys that are making millions and millions of dollars," Humber told the magazine. "Most guys are like me -- they have a lot of ability but haven't figured out how to exactly put it together consistently. I'm still searching for that. But I'm also one of the lucky ones. Even if I never find that place, I know I've made a mark. I know that perfect game is always going to be there."

* Buchholz’s 0.90 ERA is the lowest by a Sox starter after four starts since Pedro Martinez opened the 1998 season with an 0.84 ERA through four starts. Martinez gave up three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in his next start, in Detroit, his ERA jumping to 1.69.

* Jacoby Ellsbury’s next stolen base will be the 200th of his career. Assuming it comes in the next five games, it also will break his club record for most steals in April, 10, which he set in 2009, the year he stole a club record 70. Ellsbury has yet to be caught this season; Jason Castro is catching for the Astros tonight and has thrown out 2 of 12 base-stealers.

* This is the eighth series the Sox have played so far this season. They’ve won the opener of all eight series. They’re 7-2 lifetime against the ‘Stros, sweeping them in Houston in 2011, the last time they met.

* According to the Sox, about 1,400 fans holding tickets from Tuesday’s 13-0 loss played in horrific conditions took advantage Wednesday of the Sox offer for free admission with a ticket stub. The Sox made the same offer for Thursday night’s game.

* Had some fun in the morning report with Oakland reliever Grant Balfour, whose string of f-bombs Wednesday could be heard loud and clear, even in the pressbox. Andrew Bailey and Balfour were teammates in Oakland.

“He’s a great guy, man," Bailey said. “He’s awesome. He’s a great teammate, and pitches with a lot of pride and adrenaline, as do I. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Whatever happens out there happens, and he lets it go. He’s a lot of fun, a lot of high energy out there, that’s really it."

* It may have come as a surprise to some that Alfredo Aceves still had options, which is why the Sox were able to send him to Pawtucket without exposing him to waivers. Here is a list of the Sox players who are out of options: Craig Breslow, Felix Doubront, Joel Hanrahan, Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales, Clayton Mortensen, David Ross, Pedro Ciriaco, Jonny Gomes, Daniel Nava.

BOSTON -- Even though Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks is bothered by the fact that he's 4 for his last 43 at the plate, he’s more upset that he had the opportunity to make a difference in Sunday night’s 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals but finished 0-for-5.

“I’m more pissed right now because we lost,” he said. “We lost by one run and I felt I could’ve done something about that. If we’re winning ballgames and I’m still struggling, I’m doing something, I’m playing good defense, making a play, doing something to help us win. When we lose by one run and I’m 0-for-5 in a couple of big situations, it stings a little bit.”

When asked if he’s been pressing too much at the plate because of his recent struggles, Middlebrooks said, “No. I’m just not getting hits.”

Middlebrooks also said his health is fine and there’s nothing wrong with his wrist.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s part of the game. It happens sometimes,” Middlebrooks said. “I’m not worried about it.”

Neither is Red Sox manager John Farrell.

“He’s not swinging the bat or getting the production as he’s experienced last year,” Farrell said, “but this is someone, he’s our third baseman and we’re going to stick with him and continue to work to get him on track.”

Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks is keeping a diary for ESPNBoston.com. In his third entry, he talks about an interesting trip to Toronto, why Red Sox fans should come out to Fenway, and life on the road. (As told to Louise K. Cornetta)

We may have gotten rained out on Friday, but a lot happened in sports. While I sat home on my couch watching everything after a nice dinner at home, we had people thinking Tiger Woods might get disqualified from the Masters because of a bad drop [he ended up with a 2-shot penalty], Kobe Bryant is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and the Blue Jays' Jose Reyes hurts his ankle and could be out 1-3 months. All not good things to happen. But the worst probably would be what happened to Kobe because it ended his season just as they were making a run for the playoffs, which will hurt them.

The season started for us on the road. We had a successful road trip, going 4-2. The highlight for me would be the three-homer game in Toronto. The words I would use to describe that game are easy and fun. It's one of those times like in a basketball game when everything you throw up goes in. I felt like everything I swung at, I put good wood on and hit it hard. I've yet to experience what people say sometimes how the ball looks as big as a beach ball when the pitcher is throwing it. It looked the same. I just felt like I got good pitches to hit every at-bat. When I am not swinging the bat well, it feels like everything is on the corners and you're not getting good calls. This time it felt like everything was in the middle.

What will stand out from that trip to Toronto, which was John Farrell's return, is my three home runs, paper airplanes being thrown by fans and a couple of streakers. The paper airlines were coming from the upper decks. They'd be in the air for like 15-20 seconds. So ones that made it all the way down, you would hear the crowd going nuts. You'd look up and see one coming that would take a couple of pitches to get all the way down. They were taking pages out of programs to make them. Though some used their ticket stubs, which wasn't the best move since security would then know who did it. It's a rare breed up there. They are very passionate about their team. It was a fun atmosphere. I was definitely glad we could put together a good couple of games to win them for John.

The winning was the good part of Toronto. The bad part was seeing John Lackey get hurt. We got really lucky that it wasn't as serious as we first thought. Initially it scared all of us. His arm was just kind of hanging. We all thought it was his elbow all over again. It was a big scare. But to find out it is just a biceps strain is a huge relief for us.

Then we came home and I got to experience my first Fenway Opening Day. It was unbelievable and on top of everything we got the win with Daniel Nava's three-run homer. It was probably one of the loudest games I've ever been a part of with a packed house here. Our sellout streak did end on Wednesday. Why should you come out to see the Red Sox? As people are getting to know, we are a different group who is fun to watch. We play hard and we are here to win every game.

Something else that fans can look for when they watch is we've been implementing the infield shift more this season. The shift is probably the biggest change from what we were doing last year. We're just playing to guys' tendencies. If a guy is more likely to, say, hit a ball hard to the right side then we're going to play that. We're not going to shift for like a broken bat or flares or soft-hit balls because we'll probably be able to make a play on those anyway. So we're going to play to guys' tendencies. If the Orioles' Chris Davis is up there, he's obviously a big pull guy, a power guy who is not going to hit a lot to the left side. So we'll put an extra guy on the right side to take away a hit.

Someone who knows about having the shift used on him is David Ortiz. David will hopefully be back soon as he is doing a rehab stint right now. It will mean a lot to have him back. On and off the field he is a leader for us. He is a guy who has taught a lot of us the ins and outs of the big leagues as we've come up. It is always nice to have him around. On top of everything else, he's a good bat in the lineup.

We have started off the season facing three of our AL division opponents. I actually like facing them so soon in the season. You get a preview of what you are going to get all season and what to expect. Our division is really good. It helps to see those pitchers and lineups right away. As I said, it lets us know what to expect.

We have a lot of home games in April. I see it as an advantage because we are playing at Fenway. Just the way the ballpark is built, this is a place that if you aren't used to playing here, it would be tough. We know how to play the balls off the Monster. We know how to play the right-field corner. A lot of teams aren't used to that. We use knowing this park to our advantage. I have my first Patriots' Day game on Monday. I have played in the morning hours before. In the minor leagues, we'd have 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. games for kids' days.

If you see some camera shots of our locker rooms you may see some giant-size heads of us in here. These were left around town for Red Sox fans to try to find. We put a bunch up. Nap [Mike Napoli] had his in here and Jonny [Gomes] got his. So I got mine and we put ours up. Salty [Jarrod Saltalamacchia] has his in here, too.

This team is really a close group. We have team dinners and things like that off the field, but that's not really why you hear us saying we are close. Baseball-wise, I just feel that if someone falls or someone fails that someone is always there to pick them up. There is no ragging really going on. Everyone does have each other's back. It's nice to come in and have your teammates cheering and pulling for you. They want you to do well.

Something I am looking forward to is having my sister Lacey here. She is about to graduate from the University of Tulsa in May. She will be coming to Boston and will be a Red Sox PR intern. She will be the ball girl from time to time. She was in Pawtucket last year. She'll live with me. We were more competitive when we were growing up. Now it's not really like that anymore. She pulls for me and I pull for her. She's finishing up her last year of college softball, which has been fun to watch.

I thought I'd end with some questions about life on the road since we travel so much:

(Read full post)

TORONTO -- On a day bookended by a knuckleballer and a knucklehead, Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks hit three home runs and came just a few feet short of what would have been a historic fourth.

The first two home runs came off Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, the 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner who twice tried to sneak fastballs past Middlebrooks and failed both times, the balls landing in the seats under the closed roof of the Rogers Centre. The first one came in Boston’s first at-bat with Mike Napoli aboard and gave the Sox a 5-0 lead in the first. The second came leading off the fifth and made it 8-0.

In between, Middlebrooks whacked Dickey’s signature pitch into the left-field corner for a double in the third.

The knucklehead came in the ninth, after Middlebrooks had tied a club record with his third home run of the day, this one in the seventh off newly called-up reliever David Bush, who in the eighth also served up the first-pitch breaking ball that Middlebrooks lofted to the track in left, where it was hauled in by Melky Cabrera.

“I hit it too high," Middlebrooks said. “The pitch was about 65 miles an hour. Somebody must have turned the AC off for me. I thought it had a chance, just the way stuff flies here. I was blowing it running down the line, but didn’t have enough steam."

Middlebrooks had taken his position in the field in the ninth, waiting for Clayton Mortensen to tack on his second scoreless inning to the seven put up by Sox starter Jon Lester. That’s when a spectator of uncertain sobriety but undisputed stupidity lurched onto the field and, hand extended, approached the third baseman.

“He said he was happy to meet me and then he got tackled," Middlebrooks said. “He started to say something else and he got drilled."

Middlebrooks played quarterback under the Friday night lights of high school football in Texas, where a teammate was 49ers running back LaMichael James, so he knows something about the kind of gang tackle with which four security guards took down the intruder.

“They blindsided him," Middlebrooks said. “He had his hand out for me, and he got pretty close. I didn’t know if he was going to make it. I was trying to time it out of the corner of my eye, thinking ‘Am I going to have to shake this guy’s hand?’ But they got him."

The spectator was last seen being dragged out on his back through the outfield fence, a departure far more undignified-looking than the baseballs launched over the same fence six times by Sox hitters -- three for Middlebrooks, one each for Napoli, Daniel Nava and Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Sox had entered the game with two home runs in their first five games. Too bad there’s no power in that lineup.

“Great point," said Jonny Gomes, who sat this one out while Napoli served as DH but was part of the welcoming committee in the dugout after Middlebrooks fell short in his bid to become the 17th player in big-league history to hit four home runs in a game, and only the second third baseman, joining Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

His teammates had played it straight most of the afternoon, Middlebrooks said, but not after his final at-bat.

“The last one," he said, “they were looking for the key to the weight room for me."

Middlebrooks had begun the season fighting a 102-degree fever and flu-like symptoms in New York, where he had two singles in 12 at-bats but just missed hitting a ball out to left-center in the second game. He hit his first home run of the season here Friday night, a line drive that just cleared the wall in left.

“It would have been a single in Fenway," he said. “I would have been just halfway down the line when it hit."

But after going hitless in three trips Saturday, when the Sox managed just two hits off Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ and three relievers, Middlebrooks capped a first-inning rally in which the first five Sox hitters hit safely: Ellsbury double, Shane Victorino single, Dustin Pedroia single, Napoli double, Middlebrooks HR.

Middlebrooks had a fast start when called up last May, hitting three home runs and three doubles, and driving in nine runs, in his first four games.

“Everybody is going to point to the three home runs," manager John Farrell said, “but you look at the slow roller, and he also handled a couple of hot shots."

Middlebrooks made a highlight play when he barehanded a roller by Maicer Izturis in the fourth and threw Izturis out by a half-step.

“He’s an all-around player, a guy who profiles the position to a T," Farrell said. “He’s a very good athlete. It was interrupted a year ago by a broken wrist, but he’s clearly back with no restrictions."

A Sox player has hit three home runs in a game 26 times. The last before Middlebrooks was Pedroia, on June 24, 2010 in Colorado. Bill Mueller and Jim Tabor are the only other Sox third basemen to hit three in a game, and Middlebrooks became the youngest player to do so since another 24-year-old, Jim Rice, did it on Aug. 29, 1977 in Fenway against Oakland.

Gomes ticked off the gifted young stars he has played with in his career, Evan Longoria and David Price with the Rays, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs with the Reds, Yoenis Cespedes with the Athletics.

“I don’t really buy into the 'tools,'" Gomes said, employing the term talent evaluators assign a player’s skills. “Some of the best players I’ve ever seen never get out of A ball, five-tool players. And guys with zero tools succeed in the big leagues. So I don’t buy into that.

“I’m looking at work ethic, guys who know their role, how they play the game, how they approach the game, their desire to get better instead of, the game owes me something.

“Will has got everything pointing north."

NEW YORK -- Seven months, three weeks, one day.

That’s how long it has been since third baseman Will Middlebrooks last played for the Red Sox. His right wrist was fractured when he was hit by a pitch by Cleveland’s Esmil Rogers, bringing a premature end to what had been a terrific rookie season.

“I’ve been waiting for this day since Aug. 10," Middlebrooks said. “I’ve been thinking about it every one of those days."

For all the fanfare over Jackie Bradley Jr. making his Opening Day debut at age 22, the 24-year-old Middlebrooks is the youngest third baseman to start an opener since Wade Boggs 30 years ago. Boggs was 24.

Middlebrooks hit .321 this spring with seven doubles, a triple, and a home run, his nine extra-base hits leading the team. His wrist ceased to be an issue early in spring.

On Monday, the man who Middlebrooks replaced at third base, Kevin Youkilis, will be playing third for the Yankees.

“I didn’t play with him long," Middlebrooks said. “For Pedey [Dustin Pedroia] and other guys who played with him for a long time, it must feel pretty weird. But I only played with him a couple months.

“Yeah, it’s going to be different, for a guy who’s known when you say his name, he’s known as a Red Sox, to be in pinstripes. But it’s a business, you see how much of a business this is, and ultimately it comes down to making money for his family," he said.

Middlebrooks was always complimentary of the way Youkilis treated him, and he reiterated his gratitude Sunday.

“He was better than he should have been to me,’’ Middlebrooks said. “He bought me clothes, he bought me food, he told me when I was wrong, when I was right. He did everything for me. He did as much as David [Ortiz] and Pedey did for me, and I was taking his spot.

“He could have very easily turned his back on me. It’s happened before. I was very impressed by how he treated me and how much class he had."

Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks is keeping a diary for ESPNBoston.com this season. In his second installment, he talks about getting swept up in FGCU basketball, the new faces on the team, and why he loves opening the season against the Yankees. (As told to Louise K. Cornetta)

How's your bracket doing? I think if you ask anyone how theirs is doing the answer is not good. Around here, Florida Gulf Coast University has definitely been what people are talking about. Their intensity and swag have been fun to watch. It's always fun watching a higher seed beat up on the good teams. I was at Blu Sushi here in Fort Myers with Nap [Mike Napoli] and [Jonny] Gomes watching when they beat San Diego State. The place was going nuts. But Bar Louie across the way had a feed that was two seconds ahead of us, so we always knew when they were going to score. We just would listen for the roar.

With spring training winding to an end, I'm looking around and I have to say that I love everything about this team. Everyone is already best friends and gets along. While we have fun, we still push each other to be better. I wouldn't say there is one particular area we need to work on but rather continuing to become closer and play together. We have a new coaching staff. So we are learning a lot of new signs and coaching philosophies. We're trying to get used to that and make it a habit. I know having the public perception of this team as underdogs seems the complete opposite of what it should be. I want us to be feared. I want us to be a team that everyone marks on their schedule, not because they think they are going to beat us but because they are worried about getting beat. I think the perception will change pretty soon.

Numbers-wise, I've had a pretty solid spring. I hope everything carries over into the regular season, especially my mentality right now. This being my second year, I'm more comfortable. I know everyone. I actually have a say-so. I feel I can be a good part of this team. I want to be able to help us win games, that's the most important thing. After my first diary, I had a momentary scare with my wrist that I had injured last year. It took about a week or two before I could get past worrying about it. The first week of games when I irritated it, I was worried and didn't trust it. I'm past that now. I just had to get to the point where I didn't worry about hurting it or getting hit there. It took time and reps and it's gone now.

Without David Ortiz in the lineup while he gets better from his heel injury, do I feel more pressure hitting in the middle of the lineup without him? No, I feel zero pressure. There are so many guys around me who are going to help also that there is no added pressure. There is not a whole lot I can do to help replace one of the best hitters of the game. I go over to his locker and mess with him to try and keep his spirits up, but he's a guy who is going to be pretty consistent with his emotions. He doesn't really ride the roller coaster. He's still David. Nothing has really changed about him, though I know he's ready to get back out there.

As you know, we have quite a few new faces on the team. I thought I'd take a look at them:

* Jonny Gomes. He is a linebacker playing left-field. He's awesome and fun to watch. He pushes me to play hard every day. He's a leader on this team already.

* Shane Victorino is the Flying Hawaiian. He's a fun guy, a high-energy guy who brings a lot of speed to our lineup.

* Ryan Dempster is one of the funniest guys on the team. Really a good guy who has been nothing but great to me so far. I think he's going to be a really good addition to the pitching staff.

* Joel Hanrahan is one of my really good buddies. We worked out the last couple offseasons together in Dallas. A great addition, a great pitcher who is going to come in and shut guys down from the bullpen. On top of that, he is a great teammate.

* David Ross is another funny guy. He's probably the most genuine guy on the team. He knows his stuff. He's one of those guys that if you need anything, you go to him.

* Stephen Drew is my locker-mate. It's been a tough spring for Stephen. He started out well but then he got hit in the head, which is hard to come back from. Concussions are tough and you need to pass a lot of tests before you can come back. I know it's been tough for him to come in here and not be able to play, but he is back on the practice field now and will hopefully be back soon.

* Mike Napoli, I call him Nap. He is probably one of my closer friends of the new guys. We hang out a lot. He lives close to me. So we'll grab dinner. A good guy, who will be fun to watch because he's going to hit 500-foot homers.

“

I am really hoping Jackie makes the team so I won't have to be the young guy anymore.

” -- Will Middlebrooks, on Jackie Bradley Jr., who turns 23 on April 19

* Jackie Bradley Jr. While he is not one of the new faces we brought in from a different team, he may be a new name to some Red Sox fans. I'm very impressed with him. What is he, 22? This is his first spring training and I think about my own and I was not anywhere near as comfortable as he is. It looks like he belongs. He is playing well, is comfortable, and fits in well with the guys. I'm excited to see how he is going to help us win some games this year. I am really hoping Jackie makes the team so I won't have to be the young guy anymore.

I love that we are opening the season against the Yankees in New York. There's no better way to start the season. Those games against the Yankees are different. I obviously haven't played in the postseason but they feel like what I guess the atmosphere is like. They just feel different than everything else. It should be emotional with the Newtown police and firefighters as part of the pregame ceremony. I hope some of those families can be there for that with Newtown not being very far away. I also hope we can make somebody smile.

After New York, we head to Toronto. It sure seems like they took the entire Marlins roster from last year. They have some good additions. The front office is doing everything that they can do to put together a team that is there to win. They are going to be a force, but so is everyone in this division. We'll be ready. John Farrell managed there last year, but for us, we won't be holding any special meaning to those games. As I said, it's almost a completely different team from when he was there. They still have their core guys like Brett Lawrie, Jose Bautista, Adam Lind, and a young guy Anthony Gose, but there aren't a lot of guys leftover there. This is a tough division and we just have to be ready to play every night.

When I look back on spring training in 2013, there isn't one specific memory that stands out but something I've really enjoyed are the road trips. Now road trips are normally pretty tough for the older guys and starters who don't love going on the long ones. But towards the end here, we have all started going on them so we can play consistently. We sit in the back of bus and mess with each other and tell jokes. It's fun and relaxed. No pranks yet, but those will come. I know they will. I'd say those moments where we are messing around have been the best parts for me.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Takeaways from the Fort, where shortstop Stephen Drew's continuing issues with concussive symptoms, a week after he was struck in the helmet by a pitch by Minnesota left-hander Caleb Thielbar, should serve as a reminder that there is no greater fiction than a "mild" concussion. You bruise your brain, which is what a concussion is, and the word "mild" should be banned from the conversation.

Drew was hit a week ago in Hammond Stadium, where the Sox on Thursday beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3, with Jose Iglesias starting at short and Brock Holt replacing him in the sixth inning. Drew said he initially thought he was OK after being struck and remained in the game, but later began to experience dizziness and light-headedness.

Under a protocol adopted by Major League Baseball before the 2012 season, Drew must pass some online testing before he is allowed to resume playing. The Sox had hoped that he would have a workday Thursday, manager John Farrell said, but he exhibited more symptoms before the team left the facility for the short bus ride here and he was to undergo further testing back at JetBlue Park.

Are the Sox concerned that this might be more than a short-term issue?

"You really never know," Farrell said. "These are so case-by-case. We're certainly hopeful that it's not. Based on the impact at the time, it didn't seem like a direct blow but yet we're certainly not taking this lightly. We'll go through every precautionary step that we need to."

Drew signed a one-year, $9.5 million contract as a free agent this winter, after a fractured ankle sidelined him for 11 months and severely hindered his performance, ultimately leading to his trade from Arizona to Oakland.

There would seem to be time before the April 1 start of the regular season for Drew to be ready, but the Twins can tell the Sox a few things about the debilitating effect of concussions. Former AL MVP Justin Morneau sustained a concussion midway through the 2010 season while sliding into second base and missed the rest of the season, then sustained another concussion in 2011 that limited his play. The career of former Twins third baseman Cory Koskie ended when he could not recover from post-concussion syndrome.

No one is saying that Drew's case is comparable to either of those players'. What they are saying, however, is that they are making no predictions and proceeding cautiously.

Last spring, Red Sox outfielder Ryan Sweeney was one of the first players to fall under the new MLB protocol, failing a test after displaying concussive symptoms following a diving catch in Philadelphia. It was mandatory for the Sox to place him on the seven-day DL designed for such injuries.

"They're pretty tough," Sweeney said of the tests at the time. "One's like a written one, which somebody reads to you. It's basically just like memorization, reaction times. There's a computer test that's reaction times, remembering words, shapes, colors, it's the whole nine yards.

"It's a good test. You take a baseline to see what you can do after you have a concussion and before you have a concussion."

* Ryan Dempster went four innings in his fourth spring start, Minnesota's only run coming on an opposite-field home run by Chris Parmelee. Dempster threw 73 pitches, 43 for strikes, giving up three hits, walking two and striking out one. The two walks were the first he has issued in 12 2/3 innings this spring. He's settling in nicely as a reliable third option behind Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.

* Daniel Bard gave up a walk and a single to the first two batters he faced in the sixth, then retired the next three hitters in succession, striking out Oswaldo Arcia, one of the Twins' better prospects, retiring Eric Flyer on a fly ball, and inducing Pedro Florimon to ground out to first. It was the third successive positive outing for Bard, who topped out at 96 mph, according to one scout, and sat at 93-94 mph.

"I made a couple of pitches when I had to, I guess," he said.

Midway through camp, what is he thinking?

"It's just day-to-day, working through, getting a feel for the mechanics, trying to iron out the things that aren't quite right. It's been nice to be able to go out there and feel comfortable on the mound again. I didn't have that feeling most of the second half last year. Just being comfortable and really feeling like I'm in control on the mound has been great. I look forward to keep doing it for a long time."

* Will Middlebrooks drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in a four-run second inning. The wind knocked it down, preventing a grand slam. "I crushed it," he said.

* Koji Uehara has yet to be scored upon this spring, though he finally allowed baserunners in his sixth inning of exhibition work, the Twins loading the bases on a bunt single and two walks. But Uehara induced Morneau to pop out, ending the threat.

* Jacoby Ellsbury was credited with an infield hit on a ball that pitcher Mike Pelfrey should have fielded. Ellsbury also doubled, his second extra-base hit of the spring. He also walked, scored twice and drove in a run.

* Lyle Overbay (announced here as "Luke") and Mike Carp split DH duties. The two primary contenders for backup first baseman are both hitting .240.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Will Middlebrooks took batting practice back at Fort Myers on Thursday, and manager John Farrell said he could play in Friday night's game against the Pirates in JetBlue Park.

"That’s all good news," Farrell said. "The fact he was able to swing a bat and test it out is all positive."

Middlebrooks left Wednesday night's game against the Orioles after feeling, according to Farrell, a "zinging sensation" in his surgically repaired right wrist on a checked swing. After getting seen by a specialist Thursday morning, he was pronounced OK to resume baseball activities.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Red Sox manager John Farrell said that team hand specialist Dr. Tom Holovacs examined third baseman Will Middlebrooks Thursday morning and cleared him for all baseball activity. Middlebrooks, who told Farrell he felt a “zinging sensation” in his wrist on a checked swing in the first inning Wednesday night and came out of the game, is scheduled to take batting practice Friday and could play in that night’s game.

“His exam this morning was benign,’’ Farrell said Thursday morning at McKechnie Field, where the Red Sox were scheduled to play the Pirates. “He didn’t feel any discomfort when he was put through a battery of tests and he’s actually been cleared for all baseball activities, but I’m sure he’s going to take the day to just let it rest.

“But given the way he came out after the swing, it was obviously very good news this morning. He’ll be day to day, until he takes BP, which should be tomorrow. Our plan right now is that he would be able to go tomorrow, but we’ll just be sure he comes through BP without any issue.”

Middlebrooks told reporters in Fort Myers on Thursday morning that he was feeling better and that his wrist checked out OK.

Farrell said Holovacs decided it was not necessary to administer either X-rays or an MRI on Middlebrooks, who on Wednesday night felt pain in the same wrist in which he fractured two bones last August.

“There was nothing structural that was revealed in the physical testing he went through,” Farrell said. “Had there been any kind of discomfort, we certainly would have taken him for imaging but at this point, that wasn’t recommended by the doctors."

Farrell addressed Boston’s lack of depth at third behind Middlebrooks. Pedro Ciriaco, who has played 35 games at the position, has the most experience at third of any other player in camp.

“How do we feel about it?’’ Farrell said. “Well, when you get into the depth behind Will, we’re looking at more utility-like guys rather than someone who would profile at that position long-term. We’re confident with the people in camp. There’s no additions in camp that are being contemplated or imminent. That’s kind of where we are.’’

Middlebrooks plans to wear a protective batting glove on his wrist, but Farrell said that was more likely a result of an equipment dealer being in town than Wednesday’s issue.

"I do know that he met with them today, but it was more just normal equipment distribution. He didn’t come in specifically for what took place last year and what happened last night.”

BRADENTON, Fla. -- For the Red Sox, Wednesday night’s scare with Will Middlebrooks' wrist was a disturbing reminder of the wave of injuries that crippled the team last year, when 27 players served 34 stints on the disabled list, resulting in a total of 1,495 games missed.

The Sox already are monitoring three significant health issues: Designated hitter David Ortiz has yet to run the bases or play in a game because of continuing soreness in his strained right Achilles tendon, an injury he sustained last July, causing him to miss 71 games. Free agent acquisition Mike Napoli, signed to be the team’s first baseman, has been diagnosed with a serious condition in both hips, avascular necrosis, though he says he is asymptomatic and has been cleared to play in his first game Friday night.

And John Lackey is being counted upon to take a regular turn in the starting rotation 16 months after undergoing Tommy John reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

A significant injury to Middlebrooks would leave the Red Sox vulnerable at a position where they already are thin. Of the players in camp, Pedro Ciriaco has made 35 starts at third, non-roster invitee Drew Sutton 14 and Mauro Gomez 6. Manager John Farrell has said Brock Holt, who played a handful of games at second base for the Pirates last season, probably would see some action at third.

Top prospect Xander Bogaerts played two exhibition games at third, but that was only so he could be exposed to the position before he joined Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Bogaerts is expected to play third and DH for the Netherlands in the WBC, but he’s not an option for the Sox at this stage of his development, having played just 23 games at Double-A.

If Middlebrooks were to go down for an extended period of time, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington likely would have to explore outside options. One possibility: Unsigned free agent Scott Rolen, the 38-year-old eight-time Gold Glover who has missed 118 games in the last two seasons because of problems with both shoulders that have persisted for years. Rolen also has dealt with back issues, and his production dropped off significantly in his last two seasons with Cincinnati.

Publicly, this is what Rolen said about his future, in a statement released by the Reds after last season: "Right now, I'm simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors. I am looking forward to all of the challenges, both personally and professionally, I will face in the future."

Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks told reporters Thursday morning that his right wrist checked out OK with the team’s medical staff, but he is going to see a wrist specialist later Thursday to determine whether more tests were needed.

Manager John Farrell said Thursday morning that Middlebrooks seemed “much better,” according to the Boston Globe.

Middlebrooks left Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles after hurting his right wrist on a checked swing in the first inning. It’s the same wrist he fractured less than seven months earlier on an errant pitch, an injury that cut should his rookie season.

Middlebrooks, who will be fitted for a protective batting glove, told reporters the initial exam didn’t reveal any structural damage and that the pain went away quickly. He added that he was ready to hit Thursday. The Sox are holding him out of the cages for the day as a precaution.