Buchholz likely out for the season

The Boston Red Sox made a last minute move to get Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday just before baseball’s trade deadline. That trade came after a deal for Oakland’s Rich Harden fell through. The Red Sox clearly needed starting pitching, but today that need became even more glaring. Clay Buchholz has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, and is likely out for the rest of the season. Buchholz will see a back specialist in Los Angeles today to confirm the diagnosis. The 26-year-old hasn’t pitched since June 16 and is currently on the 60-day disabled list. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session last Monday and it didn’t go well. While it is almost certain Buchholz will miss the rest of the season, there is a slight chance he could return for the postseason. I sincerely doubt that Boston would push its luck with their young hurler though, since back injuries are tricky and can end up causing career-long problems. Buchholz was having ...