Roster notes...

Josh Beckett played catch yesterday and will again today as he hopes to stay on course to make his scheduled start Tuesday in Oakland.The right hander cut his right middle finger with his own fingernail in the sixth inning Thursday and left his start against the Angels an inning later. There was concern the past two days as to whether Beckett would need to be skipped, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona indicated before and after last night's 4-3 loss to the Mariners that Beckett is good to go.

Kevin Youkilis felt better yesterday after being sent back to the hotel Friday night with a stomach flu. Youkilis was still out of the lineup, but was available for pinch-hitting duty. Eric Hinske started at first base.

Mark Loretta, who had missed the previous two games with a strained left quadriceps, played first base in Youkilis's absence Friday and got one of the Sox' five hits. Loretta was back at second last night and knocked in a run in the fifth with a single.

Jeff Horrigan reports that Francona said he expects some pitching help to be summoned from Pawtucket on Friday, when rosters can be expanded to up to 40 players.

Another catcher, either Corky Miller or Ken Huckaby, is likely to join the team right away. Craig Hansen, Javier Lopez, Craig Breslow and Jermaine Van Buren are the leading candidates. First baseman Carlos Pena, utility man Willie Harris and outfielder David Murphy are among other candidates to be called up when the PawSox season ends Sept. 4.