Matt Clement is unscathed after being struck by a line drive Tuesday night. Trot Nixon, however, hurting.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, July 28, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- There was incredible, almost unbelievably good news on one injury front yesterday for the Boston Red Sox. And there was predictably unsettling news on another.

First, the good news.

Pitcher Matt Clement, who was struck flush on the right side of the head by a sizzling line drive hit by Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford only the night before, was released from a local hospital yesterday and cleared to fly home with his teammates.

Clement, who lay motionless on the mound for several minutes and was then taken off the field on a stretcher, his head and neck immobilized by a brace, actually looked

none the worse for wear yesterday.

He had a little cut on the top of his right ear, but there was no noticable lump on his head, nor did he need any stitches. Clement, who said he was experiencing a little dizziness, didn't even rule out being able to make his next start, though he said he would listen to his body and the team's medical staff before making that decision.

Right fielder Trot Nixon, though, is going to be lost to the team for at least 15 days, and likely a lot longer, because of a left oblique strain he suffered on a third-inning swing in Tuesday night's game.

Nixon was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, with the Red Sox recalling left-hander Lenny DiNardo from Pawtucket to take his place on the roster. An MRI showed fluid in the injured area. And while the seriousness of the strain wasn't clear yesterday, oblique injuries typically keep players out of the lineup for a long time.

Manager Terry Francona declined to give an update on Nixon's condition after a later reading of the MRI, which was an ominous sign. He said that Nixon and Clement would be examined by the team's medical staff when the Sox arrived in Boston last night.

Clement rejoined his teammates during the fourth inning of yesterday's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was warmly greeted by Francona and the rest of the Sox as the game went on. Even Clement was surprised at how well he came out of it, knowing how different, even tragic, things could have been had he been hit an inch or two from the point of impact.

"I thank the Lord for what happened if it had to happen at all," said Clement, leaning against a wall outside the Red Sox' clubhouse, looking typically scholarly, wearing his glasses.

"Considering the circumstances, it could have been a lot worse. The Lord definitely was with me. I'm a little groggy, but in good condition. I'm thankful. It's amazing to me I didn't get knocked out, number one, or that I don't have a concussion," he said.

"The strange thing is I remember the whole thing. I remember laying there (on the mound) and not panicking. I didn't get scared until they were taking me off the field and I thought about my wife (Heather) and my two boys (Mattix, 4, and Madden, 1), thinking about (what could have happened) if it had (hit) a different spot (on his head)," said Clement, whose son, Mattix, was watching the game when the ball hit his father.

Clement, who is 10-3, an All-Star and the staff's ace, said he is reluctant to be skipped in the rotation. He also said he isn't fearful about pitching again because of the incident.

"Missing starts is not in my vocabulary, but I have to be smart," said Clement. "This is not a calf or a knee. It is my head, something you want to be careful with. As of right now, I'm not dreading to (pitch) again. But you never know until you get out there. I'm looking forward to going out and pitching, but I look forward to getting everything healthy before I go out there."

All things considered, Clement was lucky.

"I'm grateful. I thought that had a chance to be very, very bad," said Francona. "While it ended up being very scary, tests are coming back in favor of his being healthy and that's very good news."

The Red Sox have today off and then another off day on Monday, which will allow Francona and pitching coach Dave Wallace to juggle the starting rotation so Clement's absence, if there should be one, can be minimized.

The loss of Nixon may not be so easy to minimize. He was batting .293 with 21 doubles, 11 homers, 50 RBI and a .372 on-base percentage in serving as solid batting-order protection for David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

The Sox will be able to take Gabe Kapler off the DL and activate him Saturday, which, for now, would likely give the team a platoon possibility of Kapler and rookie Adam Stern in right.

"One of my goals this year was to play a full season health-wise," said Nixon, who played in only 48 games last year because of injuries. "I'm disappointed. I was feeling good at the plate. It was one swing, happened just like that.

"It's a little sore. You have to be patient and listen to your body. After a couple of days you might feel good, but you have to let it heal, you don't want to try to swing a bat (too soon). I'll let God take care of me."