BOSTON (CBS) – Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has not spoken with Josh Beckett about his rumored golf outing last Thursday, and even downplayed the controversy that has fans and the media teeing off on the Sox starter.

“I’m not sure I can really comment on it other than to say, physical issues I guess, he had a sore lat. He wasn’t an injured player. I know that,” Valentine told reporters prior to Boston’s 4-3 loss to the Royals Wednesday night. “We’ll take it from there. But I’m sure that Josh wouldn’t do anything that’s going to jeopardize his team or his season, I know that.”

98.5 The Sports Hub’s Hardy broke the news that Beckett and Clay Buchholz were out golfing last Thursday, one day after Beckett had been scratched from his scheduled start.

Beckett was not with the team on Wednesday, as he flew back to Boston in preparation for his Thursday night start against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park.

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Beckett is 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA over five starts this season. He threw a career-high 126 pitches in his last outing, and told the team he had some discomfort in his lat afterwards. The Red Sox decided to have Beckett skip his turn in the rotation and call up Aaron Cook from Pawtucket to make the start.