LESTER STARTS TODAY: Jon Lester is slated to return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox today, nearly a year after his rookie season was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Lester was scheduled to replace Julian Tavarez for Monday's game at Cleveland, the 23-year-old left-hander's first major league appearance since he beat the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 23 last year. The Red Sox said nine days later that he had a treatable form of lymphoma.
"I don't think it really has sunken in yet, and I don't think it will sink in until tomorrow when I get on the mound," Lester said Sunday.
Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 81 1-3 innings last year after being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League in June.
OSWALT INJURED: Astros ace Roy Oswalt will miss his scheduled start Wednesday against the Dodgers because of soreness in his upper chest that developed Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Oswalt threw his usual between-starts bullpen session Sunday, but still felt some discomfort in cartilage located between his sternum and rib cage. He is scheduled to start again July 31 in Atlanta, meaning he would go 11 days between starts.
ALSO: Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez partially dislocated his left shoulder on a swing in the first inning and left Sunday's game against Cincinnati. Ramirez might be back in the lineup as early as Tuesday at Arizona ... Houston's Hunter Pence sprained his right wrist while batting in the fourth inning Sunday against Pittsburgh and came out of the game. X-rays did not reveal any fractures.