BALTIMORE - Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew was out of the starting lineup on Friday due to a sore left groing that is also subject to some tenderness. In his place, the Sox started Rocco Baldelli. The team was, in fact, prepared to start call-up Josh Reddick (a left-handed hitter) in Drew's place on Friday, but Reddick arrived too close to game time to be inserted into the lineup.

Reddick was notified of his call-up shortly after he checked in at the hotel of Double-A Portland, which was playing in nearby Harrisonburg. When he received a phone call from Portland manager Arnie Beyeler, Reddick thought that he might be either getting traded or promoted to Triple-A. The call to the majors came as something of a greater surprise.

Manager Terry Francona hinted that Reddick might start tomorrow against Orioles right-hander David Hernandez.

Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi said via email that, after the team did not move ace Roy Halladay, Toronto has no plans to put the pitcher on the market this coming offseason. Instead, Ricciardi suggests that his club will keep Halladay (11-4, 2.68 ERA) for the 2010 season.

"We will keep him," Ricciardi wrote. "The offers were not very moving from anyone."

Sox G.M. Theo Epstein alluded to a deal for an impact pitcher -- presumably Halladay -- whom Boston pursued aggressively but did not acquire.

"We were involved in some talks that could have led to some pretty good starting pitchers becoming available, but it didn’t turn out that way, and I don’t think we’re going to see much impactful starting pitching move in August," said Epstein. "We like our pitching staff, and our run prevention’s been pretty good.

"We have to do a better job than we’ve been doing lately,...