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Abraham On Toucher & Rich: Improved Mood Of Sox Players

The Red Sox are winners of eight of their last ten and have strung together two great starts. Josh Beckett went 7 2/3 innings against the Phillies on Sunday,giving up just one run on seven hits in the 5-1 win in Philly.

Peter Abraham joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich to discuss the team's recent success and players possibly returning from injury.

Read: Roche: Time For Red Sox To Make A Statement

The Sox are staring to put more games in the win column and now the head into Baltimore to face off with the first-place Orioles. Does Abraham feel more excitement and positivity coming from this team right now?

"They're still in last place, but it doesn't feel like it did ten days ago when they were kind of stumbling around."

Jarrod Saltalamacchia had his struggles early now in Boston -- having to play in the shadow of Jason Varitek isn't an easy thing to do -- but has turned into a productive backstop since taking over the full-time job. Despite getting 12 stitches for a gash on his ear Friday night, Saltalmacchia played in all three games in Philadelphia, going 4-for-10 at the plate with two homers and four RBI.

"If Salty ends up being a good catcher for the Red Sox for a long period of time, I think these last two-week are going to be where it turned around for him," said Abraham.

With guys like Saltalamacchia and short stop Mike Aviles playing well, getting back some guys from the DL could will only improve the Sox even more. But when can they expect to get these players back?

There was a setback with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka over the weekend, as he tried to work his way back from Tommy John surgery last June. Manager Bobby Valentine announced after Sunday's game that the right-hander had received an injection for a strained right trapezius muscle and would not make his last rehab start. Once on a fast pace to return, it looks like Matsuzaka will be staying on the DL for the extended future.

Read: Matsuzaka Hits Snag, Rehab On Hold

"Now they're probably going to start this whole thing over again," Abraham said of Matsuzaka's rehab stint. "I would guess you'd see him sometime in July or who know whenever it will be."

Jacoby Ellsbury suffered a separated shoulder back in April, when could he return to the club?

"He separated his shoulder and it's going to take a while to come back from something like that. You don't want to put someone out there if there's a danger of that happening again because then he might need surgery. So he hasn't even got to a point yet where he's started playing baseball."

Plus who is going to be playing outfield for Boston as they open a three-game set with the Orioles?

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