Injuries, Blessings, and Manny Not Being Manny

A Pair of Injuries On Monday, Junichi Tazawa was placed on the 60-day disabled list due to what has been described as a mild groin strain. While the groin gives the Sox a reason through which to DL Tazawa, the pitcher had reportedly reached his innings limit, according to the Red Sox official web site. The move also helps make room for Chris Woodward. The infielder will fill in for Nick Green, who is dealing with a back issue that has manifested as dead leg. While some may lament the loss of Tazawa for the stretch run, this conservative move is a good one. Too often, teams burn out their best young arms by having them throw innings in the playoffs. At the same time, these innings are often of little use to the team: rookies rarely possess the talent to make an impact large enough to offset the risk of being injured. Tazawa falls into this bracket. While he may be marginal asset for the end of the season, he is not polished enough yet as a pitcher to contribute to the big c...