BOSTON -- Yes, David Wells is still starting for the Boston Red Sox tonight.

The veteran left-hander hasn't pitched since May 26 when he was drilled off his ailing right knee by a liner off the bat of Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Travis Lee. Remarkably, Wells didn't suffer any ligament damage or broken bones and he's been able to rehab the injury rather quickly.

There will be no rehab start as a warm-up, either. Manger Terry Francona is giving him the ball tonight and, it all goes well, the 43-year-old's return couldn't have come at a better time.

His arm is in great shape and he's been throwing for a while," said Francona. "A few weeks ago, when I saw him throw (long toss) in the outfield, I remember thinking 'I wish his knee felt better' because he was just launching it. At this point, he might be more able to get deeper into games as we go, because he's fresh.

"I hope he's great. He's passed all the tests, and has actually done a great job. When he took that shot in the knee, I think for a while he thought he was done. He could have hung it up and no one would have blamed him. I'm excited for us and I'm excited for him."

Francona is hoping the southpaw can give the club 8 to 10 starts the rest of the way. Tonight, if he's okay, his pitch count could reach 95-100.

Ironically, it was a knee injury that ended Francona's playing career. He was close to the end and already had three knee surgeries, but wanted to give it one last shot. During spring training, he was in minor-league camp with the St. Louis Cardinals when he fouled a ball off his knee. So, he knows first-hand what Wells is going through.

"I never even thought about playing again because I knew I couldn't," said Francona. "The trauma of getting hit wiped me out, and I remember thinking that about Boomer."

Francona was quite surprised to see Wells throw the ball so well when he returned from San Diego, where he started his rehab, and barring another problem, Wells could make a huge impact for the Sox down the stretch.

Still, the manager is a little uneasy about Wells' mobility and his ability to cover first. In fact, if Wells showed any signs of discomfort during his workouts, Francona said there was no way he would be starting tonight. But, he is.

With Wells being activated today, reliever Jermaine Van Buren was seen cleaning out his locker last night and is likely headed back to Pawtucket.

Delcarmen unavailable

Rookie right-hander Manny Delcarmen is expected to be unavailable for a few days because of an irritation on his right thumb that makes it difficult for him to snap off his curveball and spot his four-seam fastball.

Delcarmen said yesterday he had been bothered by the problem for about a week or so, but had tried to pitch through it. He wasn't terribly successful in doing so, having been scored upon in each of his last three outings, accounting for a total of five earned runs in only 2 1/3 innings.

"It's not like it's a lot of pain, not like, 'Ow, I can't pitch,' " said Delcarmen. "I tried to pitch through it, but finally I had to say something."

Foulke rehab on hold

Red Sox reliever Keith Foulke (elbow) was scheduled to start for the PawSox yesterday and throw 20-25 pitches, but his lower back stiffened up during his warm-up and the right-hander decided to shut it down. According to Francona, Foulke will attempt to play catch today before a decision is made on his next rehab appearance.

"Hopefully, this is not a week-long back thing," said Francona. "You get excited when a guy starts to get close, but we have to put him on hold and that's the way it is. I'd rather have this than his elbow."

The Sox manager also said Foulke usually experiences back stiffness at least twice a season. He has been on the DL since June 12.

Exchange of pitchers

The Red Sox acquired pitcher Bryan Corey from the Texas Rangers yesterday in exchange for pitcher Luis Mendoza. Corey, a right-hander, was designated for assignment by Texas on July 25 and was added to Boston's 40-man roster yesterday. To make room for Corey, Matt Clement was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Corey was 1-1 with a 2.60 E.R.A. in 16 relief appearances for the Rangers since his promotion from Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 9. Mendoza was 5-4 with a 3.14 E.R.A. in 13 starts for Single-A Wilmington and 1-5, 6.38 in nine starts for Double-A Portland.

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340