Josh Beckett Injury: Red Sox Righthander Hurts Ankle

The Boston Red Sox are currently in the American League wild card lead, though they have lost six of their last ten. They have done this despite having injuries to just about everyone in their starting rotation.

The latest victim of this injury bug is Josh Beckett. Beckett had to leave Monday's game in Toronto with an ankle injury with two out in the fourth inning. And he might have an unusual experience to blame:

"I felt it on the second to last pitch, and then it felt a little bit different on the last pitch," said Beckett after the Sox's 1-0, 11-inning loss to the Blue Jays. "I did fall in the bullpen trying to get off the mound and take a shirt off. I didn't feel it between there. I didn't feel it until those last two pitches."

Though there was no way of knowing for sure, Beckett thinks his bullpen fall was unrelated to his ankle injury.

"I busted my [behind and] fell," said Beckett. "I was just trying to change shirts and they have concrete or something down there. I fell. I don't know, but I don't think it had anything to do with it. I think I would have felt it earlier than that."

The Red Sox bullpen did a good job Monday of keeping the team in the game, but eventually Boston lost 1-0 to the Blue Jays in extra innings. Beckett will be sent back to Boston to be examined by team doctors. The Red Sox lead the Rays by seven games in the wild card race, but the teams still have seven games left against each other. Any loss of a pitcher like Beckett has to be concerning at this time of year.