Marty Dobrow - Minor League Notebook: Obliques have been a pain; Organization hurt by muscle strains
First came Pawtucket center fielder Jonathan Van Every, who suffered a mild strain Aug. 6. Van Every, batting .266 with 24 home runs and 63 RBIs, could return to the lineup during the series at Syracuse, which opened last night.
On Aug. 7, PawSox left fielder Chris Carter had to leave a game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a strained oblique that sent him to the DL. Carter is hitting .293 with 24 homers and a team-leading 78 RBIs.
Three days later, the Lancaster JetHawks lost Daniel Nava to an oblique strain. Nava, in his first year in affiliated minor league ball, has been a great find for Boston. Undrafted out of Santa Clara University, he played for Chico, Calif., in the Golden Baseball League last year and was named Baseball America's No. 1 independent prospect. The Sox signed the switch-hitter last October, and he has thrived for the Single A JetHawks, batting .337 with 10 home runs. Nava was placed on the DL yesterday, according to JetHawks director of broadcasting and media relations Jeff Lasky.
Mike Hazen, Boston's director of player development, says the rash of oblique injuries is not confined to the Red Sox.
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With six shutout innings and a victory over first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Wednesday night, Pawtucket righthander Edgar Martinez continued his odd journey up the Red Sox ladder.
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Though the 26-year-old Martinez returned to the bullpen for another month, he has since made a name for himself in a starting role. Since June 6, he has made 12 starts and one relief appearance. His overall record of 7-2 with a 3.79 ERA includes a 6-1 mark and a 3.03 ERA as a starter.
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With two hits, including a grand slam, to spark the Portland Sea Dogs to an 11-3 victory over Altoona yesterday, Lars Anderson continued his torrid hitting. A 20th-round pick in 2006, the first baseman is now hitting .333 with 5 homers and 23 RBIs in 25 games at Double A, after hitting .317 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs in 77 games for Lancaster.
