''No question," he said, he will be healthy enough to pitch come the start of the regular season.
However, the lingering question remains whether the Red Sox want Wells in the rotation that soon. The Sox have offdays April 6 and April 10, and Terry Francona is on record as saying ''I really am not comfortable having a five-man rotation with two days off." He's also said Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, and Josh Beckett are likely to pitch in that order.
With Matt Clement healthy and sharp (he's allowed only two hits and no runs in four spring innings), Wells could be left without a turn until mid-April. The season begins April 3, but the Sox don't need a fifth starter until April 17. Wells said he has yet to hear that he might be skipped, but the possibility is logical, and something Francona has hinted at.
''I'd have a problem with that," Wells said after he pitched yesterday. ''I would. If they're going to go with four and I'm going to be the odd man out, that's not going to sit well with me.
''Right now it's too early to really speculate on that. If they still feel the same way after a few more outings, we're definitely going to have to sit down and talk. I don't see myself sitting until the 15th to wait to pitch. I just don't see it at all."
Francona said, ''We came to camp respecting his wishes [to be traded]. Things change. And I'm happy they changed. At the same token, I'm not going to take the four pitchers I've talked to . . . "
He halted mid-sentence, changed direction, and said only, ''Sometimes you have to be a little flexible."
Wells, informed of this, said if his earlier wish to be moved closer to a West Coast team will be held against him, ''They can grant that first wish."
