Red Sox - Trot Nixon's back

Trot Nixon will be out at least six weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Now full recovery is expected from this injury - which is good - but back or knee injuries are not what you want a guy you signed to a three year extension to be getting.

Trot's injury helps to again point out the excellent job Theo Epstein has done in building depth on this club. Theo has Kevin Millar (if Ortiz plays first), Brian Daubach, Ellis Burks, Gabe Kapler and David McCarty ready to go and take over the AB's Nixon would have had if healthy.

The injury may actually prove to be beneficial in the aspect that either Daubach or McCarty probably wasn't going to make the team. With Nixon out (but scheduled for full recovery) - the team has a longer time to evaluate which player (Daubach or McCarty) would be the most useful to the team this year. (There is also the chance that neither player makes the team and Theo moves in a different direction.)

I would expect the lion's share of Trot's AB's to go to Ellis Burks (it will be good for him to get a nice applause on Opening Day). Gabe Kapler and Millar will probably get the remaining AB's that Burks doesn't get.