--OF Jonathan Van Every was called back up to the Major Leagues on Friday afternoon following the conclusion of Class AAA Pawtucket's postseason run. The lefty-swinging centerfielder will give the Sox additional depth at the big league level through the month of September, and Van Every becomes the 35th player on Boston's active roster this month. The 28-year-old can play all three outfield positions and is hitting .333 with an RBI in three games for the Sox during very limited action this season.
--OF J.D. Drew hit in the indoor cages and ran around a bit to test out his back Friday afternoon, and then took a painkilling shot to alleviate the "grabbing" in his lower back. Drew had been inching closer to a return, but his back seemed to stiffen up right when he approaching a return. Drew hasn't played in a game since Aug. 17 with a sore lower back, and flew to Georgia Friday night to attend his grandmother's funeral. The right fielder will meet the team in Tampa Bay on Monday, and Sox manager Terry Francona is hopeful he'll be well enough to return to the lineup "It's tough when somebody tells you that they hurt, as much as you want them to not hurt, you can't tell them that (they don't)," said Francona. "So you do the best you can. We've been patient, so to get impatient, doesn't make a lot of sense. I think he's real frustrated. He wants to get out there and play. That would be welcome, having his bat in the lineup." --OF Coco Crisp extended his season-high hitting streak to 12 games in Friday night's win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Crisp is on a torrid 23-for-47 (.489) stretch over those last 12 games. The speedy centerfielder has managed to really turn things around for himself offensively, and has scored 13 runs in his last 17 games -- all while getting on base consistently and wreaking havoc on the basepaths. If Crisp continues to pound the baseball over the next few weeks, it would be near impossible to keep him out of a postseason starting lineup.
--SS Jed Lowrie was mired in the first mini-slump of his Major League career and had been hitting only .195 over his last 12 games, but the rookie infielder snapped out of it in a big way during Friday night's victory over the Blue Jays. Lowrie matched a career-high by cracking a pair doubles along with two RBIs, and -- in doing so -- pushed the Sox record to 14-0 this season when Lowrie knocks in at least two runs in a ballgame. "It's just about how strong your will is and how determined you are to go out there and get the job done," said Lowrie. "You really wait for those opportunities to get up and drive in runs."
--RHP Mike Timlin appeared in his 1,050th game in relief on Wednesday, which matched retired RHP Kent Tekulve's career major league record for a right-hander. It also ties Tekulve and LHP Dan Plesac for the fourth fourth-most relief outings all-time behind LHP Jesse Orosco (1,248 appearances), LHP Mike Stanton (1,177 appearances) and LHP John Franco (1,119 appearances). Timlin has appeared in 1,054 total games in his career, as he also has made stars during his long 17-year career.
BY THE NUMBERS: 100 -- Number of RBIs reached by Kevin Youkilis last Wednesday, a career-high for Youkilis and a signal of the offensive breakthrough the Sox slugger has enjoyed this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "My hand is not OK. It's still (bothering) me once in a while. But we're still winning, so I don't pay attention to it. I keep on trying. There's no pain. Clicking. If there was pain, I wouldn't be playing. Pain won't allow you to play like that. It's the same thing, on and off." -- DH David Ortiz, talking about the continued discomfort in his left wrist that he'll be playing through for the rest of the season.
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