Big Papi to return tonight

According to Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald Big Papi will return from his left shoulder injury tonight that's kept him off the field for a little bit. He took batting practice yesterday and appears to look great.

“There’s still a little pinch but not bad,” Ortiz said. “That’s what happens when you get older.”

Big Papi's return to the lineup isn't as critical as it may seem at this point in time but having that big bat in there when you're already hitting great is a huge bonus. I'd rather continue to rest him and make sure he's 100% because the lineup we're putting out there has definitely gotten the job done as you can tell from the 5-game winning streak. It's always great to see your star player come back from an injury though. On a side note, seeing Manny get a little rest because of this has been great, after Francona moved him to DH to give him some time off from the field.

Going into August with the return of Lester, Schilling and Ortiz the Red Sox should have a pretty good month. My only fear is a repeat of last year's Varitek injury because honestly even if he doesn't put up the offensive numbers that guy is the definition of a captain and is really the glue that holds the team together.

Well, David Ortiz's return to the lineup should be interesting. I'm curious to see how Francona plays with the lineup tonight with Crisp and Lugo hitting great.

The first pitch will be approximately at 7:05 PM EST in Cleveland as the Red Sox take on the Indians. Josh Beckett will take the mound as he will be looking to become the first pitcher in the league to get 14 wins.