Salty given a rest; Ross on the mend

BOSTON -- Without question, Jarrod Saltalamacchia's time off has been far less frequent in the last five weeks, since David Ross went out with a second concussion.

Saltalamacchia did get a night off on Monday, after the team's 11-inning win on Sunday night. Ryan Lavarnway made the start against nasty Rays lefty Matt Moore.

"With 62 games left to go, [Saltalamacchia] may have caught a few more games where we've matched him up with some left-handers, such as last night," said manager John Farrell. "I think he's swung the bat right-handed this year better than he has in recent years. In fact, he's done a very good job of handling our staff. He's durable. He wants to play as much as possible. Maybe a few more games played to date [than we expected]."

The good news is that Ross, who has been rehabbing at his home in Tallahassee, Fla., will report back to the Red Sox later this week, though he isn't eligible to come off the disabled list until mid-August.

"He continues to progress with all activities, from exertion to throwing to BP," said Farrell. "He'll rejoin us later this week. It'll be good to get him back in our clubhouse."