"One of these days, the Red Sox will get their full lineup back together. For now, they will take what they can get.

For Friday night's opener of a three-game series against the Astros, cleanup man Kevin Youkilis returned after missing Thursday's game with a contusion on his left ankle. J.D. Drew, who has been nursing a heavily bruised left eye, was back in right field, making his first start in five days.

But a couple of hours before the first pitch, leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury was scratched due to illness. This caused a shuffle that moved Josh Reddick from left to center, and Drew Sutton into the lineup for his first start in left field since Sept. 5, 2009.

"[Bench coach DeMarlo Hale] told me, 'Make sure you're doing stuff in the outfield.' You never know," said Sutton. "So you try to do as much stuff in the infield as you can during BP, and then add the outfield. I'm just trying to get good reads off the bat. That's basically the best way to get work during BP. Hopefully I can do it like Adrian [Gonzalez]. Keep everything in front of me and not turn it into doubles.""