Kevin Youkilis

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff PHILADELPHIA — Daisuke Matsuzaka will not be returning to the Red Sox any time soon. The righthander, whose minor league rehabilitation assignment was due to end on Wednesday, has been shut down because of pain in his right trapezius muscle. Matsuzaka received an injection in the area. "That's been nagging him for quite a while and we've got to make sure that that's 100 percent before he's going out there again," manager Bobby Valentine said.

The Red Sox are back at .500, getting stellar outings from their starting pitchers (Daniel Bard, aside; yeesh), the bullpen has been nails, and the offense continues to rake, as evidenced by Scott (Burly) Podsednik going deep for the first time since May 6 - 2010 - in Wednesday's compelling 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Things are clearly better, and whether or not it was indeed that team meeting that steered things back on course, these Red Sox all of a sudden seem more in tune with each other and the job at hand, making them a lot more fun to watch than they have been in a long time.

Have a question? Submit your question here to be considered for the next edition of Ask Nick. By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff There were a lot of inquiries this week about the Red Sox dealing Kevin Youkilis, but that's jumping the gun. First of all, Youkilis has to be completely healthy and show he's completely healthy by playing. Even though there's a great need for third basemen around baseball, nobody's going to make a deal for a player who has recurring injuries.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Brian Matusz allowed two hits and struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings, Steve Tolleson and Wilson Betemit both hit two-run homers, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Tuesday night. It was the sixth win in eight games for the AL East-leading Orioles, who improved to 4-1 against Boston this season. Tolleson homered off Felix Doubront in the second inning and Betemit connected against Matt Albers in the eighth. Kevin Youkilis homered for the Red Sox, who were seeking to climb over .500 for the first time this season.

PHILADELPHIA - Cody Ross was limping when he entered the visitors' clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday afternoon and went immediately to the trainer's room. Ross did not play in a 7-5 victory against the Phillies and it could be a few days before he returns after fouling a ball off his left foot in the eighth inning on Friday night. "I'm not going to say I'm going to play tomorrow. I don't know how it's going to feel," said Ross, who doesn't feel he will need to go on the disabled list.

BALTIMORE - Cody Ross walked out of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia Sunday hopeful of playing against the Orioles Monday night. Now he might not be playing until July. Ross was diverted to Boston for an MRI on his injured left foot and it revealed a small, non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone. The general timetable for such injuries is 6-8 weeks and he was placed in a large walking boot to take weight off his foot. Ross will not be placed on the disabled list until Tuesday.

Let's start the workweek on a positive note. Dustin Pedroia . Latin for "he who gives a damn. " Pedroia is the anti- Beckett . He sleeps with more intensity than Adrian Gonzalez brings to the plate. He's the Pepto-Bismol to all that chicken and beer that made us queasy and ill. The brightest spot on this team remains covered in dirt at second base. That above photo was taken in the 16th inning of last Sunday's debacle as Pedroia turned a double play.

Apart from their contributions since being promoted this month, Daniel Nava and Will Middlebrooks have shared one interesting career highlight: When each hit their first major league home run, it was a grand slam. Middlebrooks hit a game-tying blast in a 9-6 loss to Baltimore in 17 innings May 6. "Yeah, but his was on the first pitch [of his career]," Middlebrooks said, marveling at Nava's slam, which came June 12, 2010, against Philadelphia. "If anything, the joke is that he's hit more since then and I haven't," Nava said.

BALTIMORE - You're not supposed to cry over injuries. But cry, Boston, cry. Once Cody Ross officially goes on the disabled list Tuesday with a fractured left foot, there will be six Red Sox outfielders on the shelf. There seems no end in sight to this rash of injuries. Sox players have spent 438 games on the disabled list, the most in baseball. Carl Crawford (wrist, elbow), Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder), Darnell McDonald (oblique), Jason Repko (shoulder), Ryan Kalish (shoulder)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For 95 percent of the games in a given season, the Red Sox are thrilled to have David Ortiz on their roster. He is the best designated hitter in the game. But for nine interleague road games, finding a way to get Ortiz in the lineup becomes a problem. Ortiz is a first baseman in name only, having played just 39 games in the field over the last eight seasons. The Red Sox also have a Gold Glove first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has volunteered to play right field, and manager Bobby Valentine will take him up on it for at least one of the...

BALTIMORE - Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine got creative with his lineup when Kevin Youkilis returned to the roster Tuesday night after spending three weeks on the disabled list. Youkilis started at first base against the Orioles with Adrian Gonzalez moving to right field. Rookie Will Middlebrooks, who became an important member of the lineup when Youkilis was out, stayed at third base. The idea was to maximize the team's ability to score runs. Brian Matusz and three relievers foiled that, holding the Red Sox to a season-low two hits as the Orioles won, 4-1, before 25,171 at Camden Yards.

Brian Matusz handed the baseball to manager Buck Showalter and headed off the mound, walking ever so slowly toward the Orioles dugout as many in the crowd of 25,171 stood and cheered. The left-hander could be forgiven for soaking it all in, because the ovation was a long time coming. Matusz allowed two hits and struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings, Steve Tolleson and Wilson Betemit both hit two-run homers, and Baltimore beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Tuesday night. It was the sixth win in eight games for the AL East-leading Orioles, who improved to 4-1 against Boston this season.

BALTIMORE - Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine got creative with his lineup when Kevin Youkilis returned to the roster Tuesday night after spending three weeks on the disabled list. Youkilis started at first base against the Orioles with Adrian Gonzalez moving to right field. Rookie Will Middlebrooks, who became an important member of the lineup when Youkilis was out, stayed at third base. The idea was to maximize the team's ability to score runs. Brian Matusz and three relievers foiled that, holding the Red Sox to a season-low two hits as the Orioles won, 4-1, before 25,171 at...

BALTIMORE -- Kevin Youkilis was back in the lineup Tuesday for the first time since April 28, having been activated off the disabled list. He missed 22 games with a strained lower back. But instead of third base, Youkilis started at first and was 1 for 3 with a home run and two strikeouts in a 4-1 loss against the Orioles. Hard-hitting rookie Will Middlebrooks stayed at third and Adrian Gonzalez moved to right field. With Cody Ross out, Gonzalez volunteered to play right.

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said the unusual lineup mixture that saw Kevin Youkilis at first base and Adrian Gonzalez in right field on Tuesday night is not "an everyday thing. " The combination was necessitated by a rash of injuries that has crippled the Red Sox' outfield depth, and allowed rookie Will Middlebrooks to stay in the lineup at third base after the man he replaced, Youkilis, returned from the disabled list. "I think it's something that can be used throughout the year, but no I don't think it's an everyday solution" Valentine said during his weekly...

BALTIMORE (AP) — Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach hit sixth-inning homers to turn a tie game in Boston's favor, and the Red Sox withstood two home runs by Nick Johnson in a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Scott Podsednik also homered for the Red Sox, who climbed back to .500 (22-22) with their 10th win in 13 games. Boston took two of three from the Orioles, who were seeking to win a fourth straight series against the Red Sox for the first time since 1960.

The Boston Red Sox placed outfielder Cody Ross on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday and activated Kevin Youkilis, who was on the DL with a strained lower back. Ross has a small fractured bone in his left foot. The injury occurred when he fouled a ball of his foot in Friday night's game against Philadelphia. General manager Ben Cherington said Monday that Ross could be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, but manager Bobby Valentine expressed hope Tuesday that Ross could be back sooner.

Josh Beckett's three wins this season have come against teams that are a combined 49-52. Take away the April victory against the Tampa Bay Rays, and that record is 26-48 (Minnesota, Seattle). That's one way to look at Beckett's bumpy season thus far. It's something else to point out that after yesterday's stellar outing against the Quadruple A Seattle Mariners, Beckett now has five quality starts on the season. That's the same amount as Jon Lester, James Shields, and David Price.

BALTIMORE - You're not supposed to cry over injuries. But cry, Boston, cry. Once Cody Ross officially goes on the disabled list Tuesday with a fractured left foot, there will be six Red Sox outfielders on the shelf. There seems no end in sight to this rash of injuries. Sox players have spent 438 games on the disabled list, the most in baseball. Carl Crawford (wrist, elbow), Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder), Darnell McDonald (oblique), Jason Repko (shoulder), Ryan Kalish (shoulder)