See the Post-game Update for More
Josh Beckett is still hurt. Keep an eye on the speed tonight. Game just underway in Tampa/St. Pete (see below the updates for start-by-start speed chart).
Update Beckett's still a little slower than "normal". News earlier today was Beckett's oblique injury was pretty serious.
[Beckett] required an injection consisting of a pain-killer and anti-inflammatory medication after injuring his right oblique during a bullpen session on the final weekend of the regular season....Beckett's fastball has since hovered near 93 mph instead of the usual 95-96, and that slight dip suggests that Beckett is either unable or unwilling to grip it and whip it.
The numbers below agree (they're a nudge higher than the radar gun numbers, since it is speed at 55ft. from home plate, gun speed is closer to the 40-50 ft. range in PITCHf/x. I'll let you ponder the relationship between his elbow and oblique issues.
Update #2 After blowing three leads, Beckett is yanked in the 5th. He'll be charged with eight runs. For the second straight start, he used less curveballs than the previous three starts. Could be a coincidence, but does his oblique limit his curveball more than other pitches?
The vertical line is the DL stint, the circle is around Beckett's two playoff outings, with the oblique injury.
(I'll update this chart soon, but you can see how down his recent Tampa start was compared to his early season start. Adjustments to the Tampa PFX system notwithstanding, he's down 5 mph. I believe tonight's numbers are right around 94 and down.)
The gap is Josh's DL stint. The yellow marks are Fenway, so you can see, without park effects, Beckett's velocity has not returned.
Update #3 Post Game Data
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