Boston Red Sox: Josh Beckett Ankle Sprain Will Give the Yankees the AL East

After a horrid 2010, Josh Beckett looked like he would be lost in the sauce for the Red Sox moving forward.  In 2011, he has been a different story.  Beckett has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 2.49 ERA, good enough for seventh in the MLB.

Last night, the worst might have happened.  Beckett left the game early with what the Red Sox were calling a sprained ankle.  An injury that will almost certainly put Beckett on the 15-day DL.  That may be the best case scenario.

"It's always concerning," Beckett said. "That's my power leg."

The injury may be more serious than an ankle sprain, which was what Beckett's injury was originally reported as.

"It felt like it was locked up and then it popped in and out of the socket or something," Beckett added.

Inexplicably, the Yankees have done enough to rise atop the AL East in 2011, piecing together a starting rotation— a feat many would have considered impossible at the start of this season.  Beckett's injury is a gift for the Bombers.

With that said, taking Beckett out of the Red Sox rotation will almost certainly put the division right in the hands of the Yankees.  He has been the Sox best starter this season and his absence will certainly lead to a few more losses over the remainder of the season.  Not to mention his dominance over the Yankees, a team the Red Sox still have another three-game series with.

Most likely, Beckett will miss the remainder of the regular season as there is no reason to risk rushing him back and losing him for the playoffs.  As important as the division is to Boston, it is nowhere near as important as winning the World Series.

With all the question marks in the Red Sox rotation, they will need Josh Beckett if they want to win come postseason play.

In addition, for all the people who believe the Rays can catch the Red Sox as a result of this injury, keep dreaming.  The Sox are way too good of a team to fold completely and they have too many veterans to do so.  They aren't the Mets for crying out loud.