BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez returned to the Boston Red Sox lineup on Tuesday night after missing 24 games with a strained muscle in his left side.
| GM | HR | RBI | R | OBP | AVG |
| 127 | 20 | 86 | 79 | .385 | .292 |
He was put in the No. 2 spot in the order, a place he had occupied just six times in his previous 1,994 major-league games over 15 seasons. He has hit fourth in most of those games.
Manager Terry Francona said batting second would allow Ramirez to get an extra at-bat in the opener of a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics before likely being replaced in left field by rookie Jacoby Ellsbury.
The Red Sox have just six regular-season games left and have clinched a playoff spot.
Ramirez was injured on Aug. 28 in a game against the Yankees in New York. The Red Sox were 80-52 after that game with a seven-game lead in the AL East over the second-place Yankees. In the 24 games without him, they were 12-12 and their lead dropped to two games.
Francona said Ramirez had a good session of batting practice on Monday, leading to the decision to start him instead of using him off the bench as a pinch-hitter. He is batting .292 with 20 homers and 86 RBIs.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
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