Red Sox Nation may breathe a sigh of collective relief at this news, from the Herald:
Good news on Kevin Youkilis, who fouled a pitch off his left shin in the first inning and left the game in the second. X-rays were negative, ruling out a fracture. Terry Francona relayed that Youkilis is "pretty sore" and will be examined further Friday.
Youkilis missed a big chunk of last season with a serious thumb injury, which obviously played a part in the Red Sox' third-place finish. Just as obviously, if they're going to get back into contention this season they'll need his bat in the lineup.
If he can't play this weekend against the Angels, Jed Lowrie figures to take over at third base, with Marco Scutaro back at shortstop.
The Red Sox got another brief scare Thursday night when Dustin Pedroia -- who also missed much of last season -- slid awkwardly into second base and turned his ankle a bit. But he bounced back and played a big role in Boston's game-winning rally in the 11th inning.