Beckett to skip Thursday start By Sports Network

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett will skip his scheduled spring training start Thursday as he continues to recover from mild concussion symptoms that resulted from a freak accident in batting practice on Monday.

Beckett was hit in the head by a batted ball off a fungo bat. He was cleared to resume activities on Wednesday, but will not pitch Thursday as a precaution and could make his next scheduled spring start next Tuesday.

The 30-year-old right-hander is trying to bounce back from a 2010 campaign that included a back injury which limited him to 21 starts. He was just 6-6 with a career-worst 5.78 earned run average last year and threw only 127 2/3 innings, the fewest since his rookie year of 2002 with Florida.

Boston also said Wednesday that infielder Brent Dlugach, in camp as a non- roster invitee, suffered a dislocated left shoulder while making a play during Tuesday's spring training game against Minnesota.