Pedro Injury?

The Baltimore Sun mentions concerns about a drop in Pedro Martinez' velocity this spring.

Two major league scouts who have been following the Red Sox closely this spring said they have noticed a distinct drop in velocity for Pedro Martinez, who is scheduled to start Sunday's season opener against the Orioles at Camden Yards.

His fastball has registered 95 mph in the past, but in Thursday's start against the Minnesota Twins, Martinez was throwing 86 to 91 mph.

Even more alarming for Boston, scouts have noticed Martinez using a lower arm angle on his pitches, which has made him less effective. Often when a pitcher has a shoulder injury, he finds a different arm angle to throw with less discomfort.

Segui noticed a different arm angle from Martinez on March 14, when the three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed an uncharacteristic three walks in two innings.

So far, Martinez and the Red Sox have played down the talk about his velocity. For the spring, Martinez is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA, spanning 13 innings.

One of the scouts who noted the difference with Martinez added: "[Derek] Lowe is throwing better than I've ever seen him throw. [Curt] Schilling, too."

The Orioles will face Schilling and Lowe, respectively, in the second and third games of the season.