FORT MYERS, Fla. ? The Red Sox had resigned themselves to Daisuke Matsuzaka starting the season on the disabled list when he reported to camp a month ago with a sore back. But the hope was he would be ready to take his place in the rotation two weeks into the season.

The decision was made even easier when Walker went to the Twins with the No. 8 pick. The Red Sox drafted Garciaparra 12th, sent him immediately to their high Class-A team in Sarasota, Fla., and then gave him another year of seasoning at age 21 at Double-A Trenton. To this day, Duquette has a picture of Garciaparra in his Thunder uniform on his desk.

Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] was scheduled to throw batting practice Saturday morning for the first time this spring after slowed by a back ailment. But a stiff neck scratched that plan after he threw a handful of warm-up pitches in the bullpen. It is not yet known when he will pitch next.

ORT MYERS - David Ortiz [stats] went 0-for-2 with a strikeout yesterday in the Red Sox [team stats]' 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at City of Palms Park, dropping his spring average to .063 (1-for-16). Under a microscope following his uneven 2009 season, Ortiz isn't sweating the slow start.

Matsuzaka had come to camp in the best condition since he signed with the Red Sox prior to the 2007 season, spending five weeks working out at the Athletes Performance Institute in Arizona. The Red Sox had asked him to show up in better shape after a disastrous 2009 in which he made just a dozen starts, won four games and was sent back to Florida to essentially repeat spring training with a fatigued shoulder.

"It's always a crap shoot for the agent and the player,'' said a prominent agent. "If, after these initial talks, Beckett rolls the dice and decides to wait, he risks 1. having a down season or possible injury, which could jeopardize a long-term deal, and 2. the possibility the market isn't going to be what he thinks. The Red Sox could wait and see a possible lowering of the price, but it appears they're more than willing to pay the money.''

"He's been blessed with some great instincts at third,'' said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "But he takes more ground balls than anybody I've ever seen.''

Starters are expected to have at least 25 innings under their belt in the spring. Matsuzaka hasn't thrown a pitch this preseason, and Opening Day is three weeks away. The fact that the Red Sox don't need a fifth starter until mid-April made it unnecessary for the team to rush him back.

Clay Buchholz, yesterday's scheduled starter, will start today instead against the Pirates at City of Palms Park, followed by that game's scheduled starter, Michael Bowden. After the game, the Red Sox will bus in some of their own minor leaguers to play a shortened "B" game. Throwing there will be pitchers assured of roster spots but with a need to throw innings - Daniel Bard and Hideki Okajima [stats], for example. Also throwing tomorrow will be Casey Kelly, both Ramon Ramirezes, Robert Manuel, Kyle Weiland and Kris Johnson.

Signed to a four-year, $8.25 million contract by the Red Sox on Sept. 8, Iglesias didn''t waste any time making an impact as a professional baseball player. Shortly after the ink dried on his new contract, he suited up for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, and despite being the youngest player there, the slick fielder -- who''s drawn unfair comparisons to the likes of Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel -- hit a respectable .275 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 18 games.

"That was an honor to be included in that trade," he said. "I had a great time with the Red Sox while I was there, but, at the same time, I was excited and looking forward to the new opportunity with the Indians. Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

JUPITER, Fla. ? Taking a look at the names and numbers remaining, it's difficult for Jed Lowrie to see himself on the big league roster. Barring injury or trade, it appears Mike Lowell, Bill Hall, Jeremy Hermida, and Jason Varitek will be on the Red Sox bench this season.

"Definitely," the ace said. "They worked very hard in the offseason. They know they''re a big part of what we want to accomplish around here. You know, I like what I saw (Thursday) from Pelfrey (against the Red Sox), mixing all of his pitches and throwing them for strikes. That''s something good. He''s getting that trust from all of his pitches. It''s going to be very important for us."

How he plays, and nurturing that development, is the emphasis now. A good example could be found here on Tuesday when the Red Sox played the Marlins. Kalish tried to go from first to third on a single to left but got thrown out. That was a good opportunity for Francona to take Kalish aside and remind him that, while the team appreciates his hustle, it may not be possible for him to make a difference on every play - especially against major league outfielders with better arms than he has encountered in the past.

The Red Sox announced Saturday night that the 19-year-old Westmoreland, one of the team''s top prospects, has taken medical leave from minor league camp to seek treatment.

The Red Sox will make sure their pitchers don''t fall too far behind schedule by playing an extra game on Saturday. They''ll play their regularly scheduled 1:05 p.m. ET contest, live on MLB.TV, against the Pirates at City of Palms Park, then about a 5 1/2-inning "B" game against players from their Minor League camp shortly thereafter.

"I'll talk about anything else ? health-related or anything else like that, I'm taking the fifth," Bay said Thursday morning before the Red Sox took on his new team.

Please people....lets be real....he has had a nice Career, but if you open the door for him, then there who else is let in? A whole slew of players. I like Nomar, this isn''t personal. But the HOF is for the Best that ever played, not the really good. And you can''t tell me the "Face of the Red Sox"...lots of players have been the "Face" of their team, but don''t get in. Don Mattingly was the face of the Yankees and has much better numbers then Nomar and isn''t in the Hall...Again, the Jimmy Fund and stuff is nice, but there is no wing in the Hall for guys who do nice things. It is purely performance and his numbers just don''t cut it...Derek Jeter, his contemporay at that position, is a Hall of Famer....just compare those numbers and you will see...time to take off the rose colored glasses...

The ultimate fantasy, of course, would have been for him to be drafted by the Red Sox in the first round. Manny and his family had to settle for the second-best bit of news, that the Red Sox had taken him in the second round.

"Almost everyone will go through it," said Red Sox minor league pitching coordinator Ralph Treuel. "It''s how they deal with that will help them determine how successful they can be. And he did a very good job with it."