--RHP Michael Bowden, considered Boston's top pitching prospect, was optioned to Class AAA Pawtucket. Bowden, 22, had a 7.59 ERA in Grapefruit League action.

--2B Dustin Pedroia (slightly strained abdominal muscle) and 1B Kevin Youkilis (left ankle, Achilles tendinitis) both returned to Red Sox training camp early from the World Baseball Classic tournament after injuries prompted them to leave Team USA early. Pedroia returned to game action, and Youkilis' foot injury wasn't expected to keep him out of the lineup long term. Youkilis stressed that the WBC itself shouldn't be blamed for the injuries and that the players' aches and pains could have just as easily cropped up at the Red Sox complex. "This was something that's been going on for a couple weeks now," he said. "It was nothing. I've been hearing that this is the WBC's fault. It's not. (The WBC) is a great thing. We had fun. It was a blast. It was an honor to represent your country. The misconception is that I didn't get hurt just playing in the WBC."

--RHP Brad Penny made his first appearance of the spring March 20 and threw 41 pitches during a game against minor league players at the Red Sox minor league complex. Penny hit the low 90s on the radar gun while letting loose the all-too-familiar grunt as he releases the baseball from his right hand. The 30-year-old was scratched from a previous start against Puerto Rico because shoulder fatigue cut short his pre-start bullpen session. Shoulder problems limited Penny to 19 appearances, 17 starts, with a record of 6-9 and 6.27 ERA during the 2008 season, but there's still time to catch up with the other Red Sox starters.

--SS Julio Lugo underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and is expected to be for 3-to-4 weeks. The surgery leaves Lugo likely to miss Boston's Opening Day roster; he's expected to rejoin the team later in April. The 33-year-old infielder -- who entered the spring in a position battle with SS Jed Lowrie for the starting spot -- appeared in only eight games and received 20 at-bats this spring after suffering food poisoning early and then succumbing to the knee injury.

--C Josh Bard was released from the Red Sox last week in a surprise move that leaves young C George Kottaras as the left-handed hitting partner behind the plate with starting C Jason Varitek. The Red Sox were scheduled to pay Bard a portion of his non-guaranteed contract if he was still with the team the following day, and -- after watching the 25-year-old Kottaras successfully catch RHP Tim Wakefield and his knuckleball -- made the difficult decision to cut Bard loose. "George in particular did a nice job with Wakefield," general manager Theo Epstein said. "We like the way George is throwing. He's throwing well. Once he showed he could handle Wakefield, we decided that is the direction we're going."

Bard subsequently signed a minor league deal with the Nationals.

--OF Jason Bay and the Red Sox have halted discussions on a potential contract extension, according to both the outfielder and general manager Theo Epstein. Since arriving in Boston, Bay had voiced in an interest in remaining with the Red Sox if the right deal could be executed before his impending free agency. Epstein said the "unusual marketplace" conditions in the offseason made it difficult for both parties to come to a mutual understanding on contract terms. "The market has changed so much from two years ago to this winter, from a year ago to now," Epstein said. "Who knows where it's going to be a year from now? So that unpredictability, I think, has created a landscape that's been difficult for us to navigate in terms of getting an extension done a year early. Both sides wanted it, so we tried. But both sides recognized that it's just too difficult to get done right now."

BY THE NUMBERS: $44 million -- The number of total dollars for the contract extension that LHP Jon Lester agreed to this spring, which includes five years at $30 million and a sixth team option for $14 million in 2014.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "No one deserves this contract more than Jon. It's just a great day for those of us who know him." -- General manager Theo Epstein talking about the five-year, $30 million contract extension that was finalized with LHP Jon Lester.