Red Sox fans have nothing to fear but fear itself. They could be afraid that a voodoo curse has been put upon them by a Yankee fan or from their own Red Sox medical staff. 

There is no need to be afraid of the New York Yankees, who have their own voodoo curse lately.

When may Sox players suffer phobic reactions? There is only one occasion to cause anxiety, and that is when the Red Sox medical staff is called upon to render a diagnosis. 

In the past few weeks, the list of nagging injury turning into a debacle has grown exponentially. Whether it is Jed Lowrie, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, Kevin Youkilis, Marco Scutaro and sundry others, Sox doctors have misdiagnosed the original problem.

The latest day-to-day prognosis on Kevin Youkilis and his weak back has turned into a 15-day trip to the Club Med of baseball faster than you can say medical malpractice.

Joining the watch list is David Ortiz, whose heel has grown tender. Whether young or old, Red Sox players now must worry that they will not be sent to the disabled list until it is too late.

Sox players will first be sent for an examination from medical people who make voodoo and shaman techniques look positively like the cutting edge of the latest treatment.

We hear rumors too that Adrian Gonzalez and his recent batting swoon may be related to some unspoken injury. We may learn that he needs rest, then needs minor treatment, and then will need to consult doctors on the West Coast, as has been done by Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka and we presume that Ortiz and Youkilis will be flying west for genuine medical advice.

They cannot trust the local practitioners hired by the Red Sox.