Suddenly, the worst month of baseball that we’ve seen in 20 years doesn’t seem so bad.

Not when superstar slugger David Ortiz leaves the team and flies across the country to check into Mass General to undergo testing on his heart.

Not when 22-year old pitcher Jon Lester is diagnosed with cancer.

Not when Jonathan Papelbon leaves Friday night’s game clutching his shoulder.

Not when people’s lives and well being are taken into consideration.

No matter how you look at it, August was a horrible month for baseball in Boston. The Red Sox lost 21 games, tying the Major League record for losses in a month by a team that started that month in first place.

Hard to believe the Sox held a one-game lead on July 31. Even harder to believe the Sox saw the Yankees surge past them with a nine-game swing in 31 days.

Injuries are never an excuse, but ask any team to succeed when you’ve ripped the Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 hitters out of the lineup and see what you get. Take away the captain. Leave a stunned clubhouse to wonder what the hell is going on when people start talking about a trial fibrillation and now cancer.

We hope and pray that Ortiz and Lester will be healthy, but the news of their conditions is shocking.

Baseball players are supposed to feel invincible. They are supposed to defy the odds and do things ordinary humans can only dream of doing. And yet, in times like these, they – and we – are reminded that they are, indeed, human. Made of flesh and blood. Expected to carry on despite a daily slap in the emotional face.

Have you ever had trouble doing your job while worrying about a co-worker’s health? The condition of a loved one? Then you know what the Red Sox are going through right now.

The Red Sox returned to Fenway Park on Thursday night and won the first two games of this homestand, ending a staggering six-game losing streak. Still, the wins weren’t enough to overcome the loss of another key player. Papelbon left Friday night’s game two outs shy of a save, and left Sox fans shaking their heads in bewilderment.

We’ve seen the reaction of Red Sox Nation. They are frustrated, but they have been supportive through the early days of this homestand. Their support is needed. This team, these men, certainly don’t deserve to be booed right now. Win or lose, they don’t need the usual vitriol that accompanies a losing streak.

They need compassion. They need to spend some time in their homes with their families.

There will be an offseason, a long offseason, to deal with the shortcomings of this team. There will be time to debate an offense that has gone south, and a pitching staff that has watched its ERA climb north.

For now, take a moment and imagine what this team is going through right now. The news reports have scared us all. And, in that one way, the members of this team are no different from you or I.

Lewiston native Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox telecasts on NESN.