Schilling takes step forward

Right-hander Curt Schilling threw a simulated game Monday afternoon at Jacobs Field, continuing his comeback from a stress reaction in his surgically repaired right ankle.
"I felt good," said Schilling, who threw about 65 pitches. "I feel like I'm ready to get out there on a rehab [assignment].

Manager Terry Francona isn't quite ready to send Schilling on a rehab, though. Francona will have his ace throw another simulated game Friday in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. That simulated game will differ slightly from Monday's.

"He'll have a little bit longer stints," Francona said. "Today, he was between 18 and 21 [pitches] each time out. Maybe we'll leave him out there a little bit longer. I just think that duplicating it at the minimum is the right thing to do.

"I think this is the responsible thing to do on our part."

Francona still thought Schilling pitched "great" at The Jake.

"I was surprised the way he commanded," Francona said. [Bullpen coach Bill Haselman] caught him and said, 'Man, that was a pleasure.'"

As pleased as Francona was with Schilling's command, throwing the right-hander back into the mix right now is a mistake he's not willing to make.

"We need him to come back and have a chance to be the type of pitcher he can be," Francona said. "I think if we're going to ever error, we're going to be five days too late; not five days too quick."

As quickly as Schilling wants to return, a few more days of rest couldn't hurt the 38-year-old. Still, he insisted after his simulated game that he's ready to pitch.

"I wasn't thinking about the ankle," said Schilling, who wasn't sure whether he would meet his goal of returning before the All-Star Game. "I was thinking about pitching. It's been a long time since I've done that."

As for that protective boot?

"I think I need it less and less," Schilling said. "I just think it's going to be something that would be prohibitive more than helpful, so we're going to stay with the regular shoes."

Wearing regular shoes, Schilling finished his Monday workout fielding grounders and covering first base several times. He'll throw a light bullpen session Wednesday before Friday's simulated game. From there, Schilling will likely make a Minor League start somewhere.

"I don't know when he's going and where he's going," Francona said.

Back at it: Center fielder Johnny Damon and left fielder Manny Ramirez were penciled in Francona's lineup Monday after they both missed Sunday's game with injuries.

Damon's injury appears to be slightly more serious than Ramirez's, because Damon indicated that a few days of rest would help his strained rotator cuff.

"It was hurting pretty bad on Saturday," said Damon, who injured his shoulder diving in the outfield earlier this month. "Three or four days' rest would be good."

The Red Sox have an off-day Thursday, when Damon could rest that rotator cuff. If he needs to miss one game this week, Francona won't hesitate to give his center fielder a game off.

"If we get him a [day off] back-to-back going into [Philadelphia], that's what we'll do," Francona said. "We'll get it figured out."

Damon figures that the injury will flare up for the next month or so, as he continues to feel shoulder pain every now and then.

Ramirez's pain is still lingering after being struck in the foot Saturday by a pitch that forced him to eventually leave the game. He took some swings before Sunday's game at Fenway Park, where Francona said he looked a bit better.

"I don't think he feels that great," Francona said. "That might hurt for the rest of the season."

Here's the question: Who was the first Red Sox player to pitch a shutout in his Major League debut? (See answer below.)

Did you know: Left-hander David Wells graduated from San Diego's Point Loma High School in 1982, the same school that produced Don Larson.

On this date: In 1951, Red Sox pitchers allowed three home runs to Indians infielder Bobby Avila in a 14-8 loss at Fenway Park. Avila, who played 22 games with the Red Sox in 1959, homered 10 times in '51.

And here's the answer: Left-hander Rube Kroh was the first Red Sox to pitch a shutout in his big league debut, as he blanked St. Louis, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 30, 1906. Kroh won just one game in '07 and 14 in his Major League career.

On deck: The Red Sox play Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Indians. Bronson Arroyo (5-3, 4.26 ERA) goes for Boston, while Cleveland counters with Kevin Millwood (2-4, 2.95 ERA). The two teams conclude their three-game series in Cleveland on Wednesday, and after an off-day Thursday, the Sox start a three-game series Friday night against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/