Ross has broken bone in foot

An MRI administered to Boston Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross in Boston showed a small fracture in the outfielder's left foot, manager Bobby Valentine said Monday. The fracture is in the navicular bone, which is the same bone that Dustin Pedroia fractured on June 25, 2010. Pedroia eventually required surgery after an aborted comeback effort and missed a total of 85 games. Ross, who was injured fouling a ball off the foot in his last at-bat Friday night, was en route back to Baltimore to join the team in time for Monday night's game. According to the manager Ross will be available to pinch hit. "He said he has one more hit left in him,'' Valentine said. That could just be gamesmanship, though, given the risks involved. Initial X-rays were negative, Valentine said, but Ross had been sent back to Boston for additional testing when he complained of continued pain. Ross is expected to be placed on the disabled list Tuesday, when infielder Kevin Youkilis is expected to be activated, though Valentine did not confirm the DL move. "These things have a way of working themselves out,'' he saifd. Ross would become the sixth Red Sox outfielder to be placed on the disabled list, joining Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Kalish, Jason Repko and Darnell McDonald. "Is that all?'' Valentine asked facetiously. The Red Sox also will be without outfielder Ryan Sweeney Monday night. Sweeney, who did not play Sunday because of what he called a "mild concussion," was undergoing additional MLB-mandated concussion testing. Valentine said he was awaiting the results of those tests, but said he elected to keep Sweeney out Monday night after trainers told him the outfielder felt some fatigue after taking swings in the cage. Sweeney was injured making a diving catch Saturday night in Philadelphia when he said he experienced a whiplash-like jolt to his neck. Boston's starting outfield for Monday's game in Baltimore had Daniel Nava in left, Marlon Byrd in center and recent call-up Che-Hsuan Lin in right. Youkilis, who has been out with a back strain, was scheduled to make his fourth rehab start Monday night for Pawtucket in Norfolk, Va. He is 3-for-9 with a double and walk so far. Scouts from the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves were all in Norfolk Saturday night to watch Youkilis play. Valentine said Monday there have been "some" discussions with GM Ben Cheringron about finding a way to keep rookie Will Middlebrooks, who has filled in at third, with the club when Youkilis returns. He said there are ways he could make that work, "but not necessarily." "If Ben and I decided that was something we should pursue I think there is a way of trying to make it work,'' he said. Valentine acknowledged that could involve moving first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to right field, which would allow Youkilis to play first and Middlebrooks remain at third. Gonzalez, a Gold Glove first baseman, played two games in right over the weekend in Philadelphia without incident and even made a sliding catch near the foul line. "It's all a balancing thing,'' Valentine said. "What's right for (Middlebrooks), what's right for us, what's right for Youk, what's right for the rest of the guys. It's a tough situation, a lot of these things have a way of working their way out.'' Valentine said that playing third base is more demanding than first base, especially for a player as oft-injured as Youkilis. "That would be up to Youk,'' he said when asked how much he thinks Youkilis can play. "If he says he's comfortable, I'd be comfortable. There's no way I can put a number of ground balls, at-bats, innings. I have no idea.''