BOSTON, MA — The Boston Red Sox today placed shortstop Jed Lowrie on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to August 7) with ulnar neuritis in his left wrist and selected right-handed pitcher Enrique Gonzalez to the active Major League roster from Triple-A Pawtucket. Gonzalez will wear No. 51 and be available for today’s game against the Yankees.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

Lowrie, 25, is batting .143 (8-for-56) with a home run and seven RBI in 19 games with the Red Sox this season. He has played 18 games at shortstop, including 16 starts. Lowrie was also on the disabled list April 13 (retroactive to April 12)-July 8 with a left wrist sprain. He underwent an ulnar styloid excision and arthroscopic ligament repair on that wrist on April 21.

Gonzalez, 27, is 7-10 with a 5.31 ERA (72 ER/122.0 IP) in 21 starts for the PawSox this season. He ranks tied for third in the Red Sox system with 94 strikeouts and fifth in the International League with 122.0 innings pitched. The right-hander is posting a 3.15 ERA (7 ER/20.0 IP) over his last three starts despite going 0-2 during that span.

Signed by Boston as a minor league free agent on December 10, 2008, Gonzalez is 4-7 with a 5.96 ERA (74 ER/111.2 IP) in 27 career Major League appearances (18 starts) over parts of three seasons with the Diamondbacks (2006-07) and Padres (2008).

Editor’s note: Gonzalez was supposed to start for the PawSox this afternoon in the Futures at Fenway event  currently going on.

The Major League Baseball Players Association issued a statement before the David Ortiz press conference this afternoon in New York.

Here is that statement:

“The New York Times recently reported that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez “are among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.” The reported sources for this statement were “lawyers with knowledge of the [test] results” who “spoke anonymously because the testing information is under seal by a court order.” The Association has previously offered its views regarding this patent violation of court orders by attorneys, and The New York Times’ active pursuit and publication of what it openly acknowledges to be information that may not be legally disclosed.

In light of the Times’ report, and all the other newspaper reports it has spurred, the Association feels compelled to offer the following additional comments:

“The sealing orders, which were appropriately issued by the various courts to maintain the collectively-bargained confidentiality of the testing, prevent the Association from supplying a player with specifics regarding his 2003 test results, or from discussing those specifics publicly. The practical effect of the sealing orders, if that confidentiality is to be maintained, is to further preclude the Players Association from confirming or denying whether a player’s name appears on any list which purportedly discloses the 2003 test results. The result is that any union member alleged to have tested positive in 2003 because his name supposedly appears on some list — most recently David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez — finds himself in an extremely unfair position; his reputation has been threatened by a violation of the court’s orders, but respect for those orders now leaves him without access to the information that might permit him to restore his good name.

“Unlike those anonymous lawyers who have violated the court orders — and The New York Times, which has authorized an active and willful pursuit of those violations — the Association will respect the courts’ rulings. But we can legally say the following, each of which we suggest must be considered in assessing any and all newspaper reports stating a player has “tested positive for steroids in 2003.”

“First, the number of players on the so-called “government list” meaningfully exceeds the number of players agreed by the bargaining parties to have tested positive in 2003. Accordingly, the presence of a player’s name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substance or that the player tested positive under our collectively bargained program.

“Second, substantial scientific questions exist as to the interpretation of some of the 2003 test results. The more definitive methods that are utilized by the lab that administers the current Drug Agreement were not utilized by the lab responsible for the anonymous testing program in 2003. The collective bargaining parties did not pursue definitive answers regarding these inconclusive results, since those answers were unnecessary to the administration of the 2003 program.

“Third, in 2003, legally available nutritional supplements could trigger an initial “positive” test under our program. To account for this, each “test” conducted in 2003 actually consisted of a pair of collections: the first was unannounced and random, the second was approximately 7 days later, with the player advised to cease taking supplements during the interim. Under the 2003 program, a test could be initially reported as “positive”, but not treated as such by the bargaining parties on account of the second test. “

After getting their butts handed to them on Thursday night by the New York Yankees, it was up to Josh Beckett to help the Boston Red Sox get back to the business of winning baseball games. Beckett did his job but his Florida Marlins buddy A.J. Burnett was equal to the task.

Beckett allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks over 7 innings while Burnett allowed 1 hit and 6 walks over 7 2/3 innings leaving it to the bullpens to get it done. There was some bumps in the roads from the bullpens but ultimately Alex Rodriguez broke through with a 2-run homer in the 15th inning off of Red Sox rookie Junichi Tazawa who was making his big league debut.

You really have to feel for Tazawa as you know this wasn’t the situation that Terry Francona wanted to put him in. But Francona was left with no choice as Tazawa was the only pitcher he had left in the 14th inning.

Tazawa was definitely impressive though despite the situation. Two of the hits he gave up were off the bloop variety and kept his poise. He should definitely have a bright future with the Red Sox and if he continues to impress, he could be here for the long haul.

What’s frustrating is the Red Sox managed just 4 hits all evening. 5 hours and 33 minutes of baseball and the Red Sox had just 4 hits. That’s not going to win ballgames even if Beckett is at his best. Jacoby Ellsbury had two of those four hits and had two stolen bases. The two stolen bases brings him to 50 on the year, matching his career-high and leaves him just 4 short of Tommy Harper’s Red Sox record of 54.

Yes the Red Sox are missing Jason Bay from the lineup right now and given his numbers against the Yankees, it hurts not to have him in. But would you rather have Bay play hurt and further injure himself. He did say he came back too quick when he left the game earlier in the week.

Now the Red Sox will need Clay Buchholz to give them as many innings as he can this afternoon. Let’s hope that he can and that the Red Sox offense helps him out this afternoon. Otherwise, the Red Sox will find themselves 5.5 games behind the Yankees and find the Rays and Rangers even closer in the wild card standings.

Links coming up after a 10-second break on the Red Sox blogging network.

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UConn Football links

Now This (UConn and ND) Is Getting Interesting [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Where’s K.C. Chambers? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Season Tix Question Answered [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Any Talk Of Expansion Or Defections? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Tebucky Jones Jr. Has Committed [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Why TB Jr. Pulled The Trigger [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Tebucky Jones Jr. Commits To Play Football At UConn [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Montgomery wards off the Sun [Norwich Bulletin]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

UConn Self-Reports 17 Minor NCAA Violations [Hartford Courant]

UConn Field Hockey Players Lead International Sides into Medal Round at Junior World Cup [UConnHuskies.com]

After getting their butts handed to them, the Boston Red Sox to look to rebound tonight with their ace on the mound against the New York Yankees

Tonight’s game will start at 7:05 PM and will be covered on the NESN in the Red Sox television market. In the New York area, you can catch the game on YES. If the television isn’t your cup of tea, you can also catch the game on the radio on one of the many affiliates of the Red Sox Radio Network.

Josh Beckett looks to right the ship for the Red Sox and Terry Francona tonight. Beckett has made 21 starts this season and is 13-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He’s made 3 starts against the Yankees this season and is 2-0 with a 5.82 ERA. In 15 starts against the Yanks in his career, he is 9-4 with a 5.42 ERA. He’s made 7 starts on the road against them and is 5-2 with a 5.49 ERA. He has won his last 3 starts in New York.

A.J. Burnett had been a Red Sox killer but hasn’t seen the same success against them this season. He’s made two starts against them and is 0-1 with a 12.91 ERA. Overall in his career against the Red Sox, he is 5-1 with a 3.80 ERA in 10 starts. On the season, Burnett is 10-5 with a 3.21 ERA in 21 starts.

The Red Sox were keeping the transactions wires busy this afternoon as they made a bevy of moves. First off, they called up Junichi Tazawa and designated Billy Traber for assignment. They also claimed and activated Chris Woodward from the Seattle Mariners. And last but not least, they designated John Smoltz for assignment.

According to Ian Browne, Tazawa could start on Tuesday for the Red Sox but that will depend on whether or not he is used this weekend. He had been scheduled to start for the PawSox in the Futures at Fenway doubleheader tomorrow afternoon.

Beckett to the rescue? [Extra Bases]

Red Sox did not put waiver claim in on Rios [Extra Bases]

The State of the Sox [Extra Bases]

Time set for Ortiz press conference [Extra Bases]

Bay not optimistic [Extra Bases]

Lowrie frustrated, uncertain [Extra Bases]

Byrd reports to Fort Myers [Extra Bases]

It’s time to make a move [Lou Merloni – Full Count]

Harold Reynolds on Dale & Holley Transcript [Full Count]

Junichi Tazawa’s Blistering Trail to the Majors

Official Press Release For Red Sox Roster Moves [Full Count]

Updates from a chaotic day… and Theo [Full Count]

Melancon didn’t mean to plunk Pedroia [RedSox.com]

Smoltz a Sad Story [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]

Tazawa will start off in bullpen, could join rotation soon [Projo Sox Blog]

Lowrie still sidelined with nerve issue, Woodward brought on board [Projo Sox Blog]

.111 [Center Field]

Six-Game Man [Center Field]

Here are the starting lineups for tonight’s game:

And here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers:

It appears as though the big league career of John Smoltz is over after 21 seasons as the Boston Red Sox announced this afternoon that pitcher John Smoltz has been designated for assignment.

Smoltz has struggled for the most part since being activated by the Red Sox in June. In 8 starts with the club, he was 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA and had given up 5 or more earned runs in his last 4 starts.

Smoltz spent the first 20 years of his career with the Atlanta Braves before signing with the Red Sox during the offseason.

If this is the end of the road for Smoltz, it’s been a heck of a career. He has 212 career wins, 154 saves, a career ERA of  3.32 and 3044 strikeouts.

It’s a shame that didn’t work out for him here in Boston. We were all rooting for him to do well but it just wasn’t meant to be.  There’s no doubt in my mind or the mind of other baseball fans that Smoltz will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Plus with Smoltz being a scratch golfer, there’s a chance we could be seeing him on the PGA Tour or Seniors Tour down the road.

With the Boston Red Sox in dire need of some pitching help right now, they have reached into their farm system yet again as they have called up Japanese righty Junichi Tazawa from Triple-A Pawtucket. They also claimed shortstop Chris Woodward off of waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

To make room for Woodward on the 25-man and 40-man rosters, Billy Traber was desginated for assignment. A roster move still needs to be made for Tazawa and it’s most likely that Jed Lowrie will be placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Lowrie came out of last night’s game with left forearm irritation. Lowrie previously had surgery on his left wrist.

Tazawa, who was supposed to start for the PawSox tomorrow at Fenway, has spent the season with the Portland Sea Dogs and PawSox. In 18 starts with the Sea Dogs, Tazawa was 9-5 with a 2.57 ERA. Opponents were hitting just .222 against him in Portland. He made two starts for the PawSox and was 0-2 with a 2.38 ERA.  International League opponents were hitting just .184 against him. He was the victim of no run support in his two starts for the PawSox.

In 20 games for the Mariners this season, Woodward was hitting .239 with no home runs and 5 RBIs.