Red Sox likely won’t have Beckett for trip to Japan

Time is running out on Josh Beckett’s slim chance of traveling to Tokyo to pitch in Boston’s first two regular-season games.

The Red Sox ace who led the majors with 20 wins last season has yet to pitch in a regular exhibition game, and his back injury might keep him from doing that. Plus, sitting on a plane for the long flight to Japan next Wednesday wouldn’t be very comfortable.

“The one thing we’re not going to do is send him over there to pitch three innings and hurt his back,” Manager Terry Francona said Tuesday.

The Red Sox have two exhibition games against Japanese teams before facing the Oakland Athletics in regular-season games March 25 and 26.

Beckett hasn’t been able to stretch since he felt back spasms while throwing his first warmup pitch before Saturday’s game against the Florida Marlins, Francona said. Tests showed the injury was muscular.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig earned about $14.5 million in baseball’s latest fiscal year, roughly the same as the previous year.

Selig received $14,515,071 in compensation during the 12 months ending Oct. 31, 2006, according to Major League Baseball’s tax return, which the commissioner’s office released Tuesday. That was up from exactly $14.5 million in the 12 months that ended Oct. 31, 2005.

In January, owners voted to extend Selig’s term by three years through 2012.