Wakefield left off post-season roster

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BOSTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The Boston Red Sox announced Tuesday pitcher Tim Wakefield has been left off the club's roster for their AL Division Series against the LA Angels.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona is hoping the rest will give Wakefield, a starter, a chance to recover from an ailing back and pitch for the team in the ALCS and beyond if Boston goes that far.

"We want to give him a chance to pitch on our roster in the series," Francona added. "It was putting the team in a very difficult spot, but we needed a chance to talk about it again."

Wakefield, a 41-year-old right-handed knuckleballer, finished with a 17-12 record and a 4.76 ERA in 31 starts for the AL East champions. He missed a scheduled start Aug. 31 with a back injury and ended the season 1-2 in his last five starts, allowing 39 hits and 24 earned runs over his 24 2/3 final innings.