Let's play "Good news. Bad news."

Bad news, Sox fans. Our beloved Mike Lowell has been put on the 15 day DL due to a strained oblique.

If I hear from one more person that he should man up and tough it out, I'm going to flip. Not sure if any of you have ever had a strained oblique, but it's as fun as accidentally lighting yourself on fire. PS - that's not fun. Think of how much you do with your core. Posture. Move. Breathe. Laugh. All of that hurts, and hurts bad, when you strain your oblique. It's one of those things that the only solution is alternating ice and heat while watching Seinfeld reruns on the couch. Most heal from it in two to four weeks, bringing Mr. Lowell's return to anywhere from the beginning to the middle of September.

Good news! We get to see more of Sean Casey!

I don't know about you, but I love this man. He's currently batting .353 on the season. He's naturally a good hitter. He's going to give us above average defense at first. While I do think we are set back by Youk having to move to third and Casey playing first while losing Lowell, I don't think it's too severe. Plus, let's talk about just how funny he looks when he trots down the first baseline after he walks. I laugh every time! Watch for it tonight. It's great.

Bad news. Rumors are spreading that the Sox may be interested in picking up Gary Sheffield because of loss of Lowell.

Let me put this nicely. HELL NO. He's batting .222 on the season and is a grade-A douche bag. He's nothing but a problem, in my opinion. He's not going to provide anything to the line up that Sean Casey can't, except for some power. I don't care. I'll take consistent base hits and a great demeanor over the ocassional home run and a loud mouth every day of the week. If the Red Sox do this just to stop the Rays from getting Sheffield, I think that Theo and the front office are going to have to deal with a lot of angry fans.

Good news! We get another look at Jeff Bailey.

I love prospects. I love getting to see them in the big league. I'm hoping that Bailey, a right handed first baseman who converted from a catcher, comes up and gets stuff done. He's already 29, and according to sources, will be nothing more than a backup on a major league team, and probably not with the Red Sox. Even so, I love getting to see what these guys can do. Maybe he'll get an at bat or two and do something productive. I hope so.

In conclusion, you stay classy San Diego.