It has been a busy stretch for the Red Sox.

They haven’t had a day off since Aug. 22, and have been watching the Yankees creep up behind them.

Johnny Damon got a break during this stretch, but not by choice. He had to leave the team while it was in Toronto, flying home to Boston to get an MRI on his injured left shoulder. It is a problem he’s been battling all season long. The injury hasn’t affected Damon’s swing, but it’s made it nearly impossible for him to throw anyone out.

Hold that laugh. No, Damon never had much of an arm. It’s really the only weakness in his game. It was never a strength, but it could be a major problem for the Sox over these final two weeks.

When Damon returned to the lineup Friday, Oakland wasted no time testing his arm. On several occasions, they were able to take an extra base. It’s Damon’s new reality, but he feels his bat needs to be in the lineup.

“We know what kind of weapon I am offensively,” said Damon, “and we know I can still track a lot of balls down. I still think I can help this team out.”

More than ever, the Sox need him to help out. Gabe Kapler was lost for the season when he ruptured his Achilles tendon Wednesday night. The Sox are suddenly very thin in the outfield, with AAA call-up Adam Hyzdu fourth on the depth chart as we speak.

Kapler will undergo surgery to repair the injury Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona is hoping he can return to Boston as soon as possible to provide moral support for his weary teammates.

“It may work out where we see him back here, even for a couple of days,” said Francona, “because we appreciate him so much. But we’ll see how it goes. It’s hard for him to go through this, and he’s probably going to climb the walls.”

Francona’s been climbing the walls trying to keep his team in first place. Including the Labor Day make-up against the White Sox, Boston is in the midst of playing 30 games in 30 days. Yes, they are getting paid millions to play a game, but it’s still a grind. This team is fatigued, and doing its best to make it to the finish line.

It’s in sight – just two weeks from today – and the Sox have their one and only remaining day off this Thursday. There’s no short list of players who need a rest. Jason Varitek’s swing suddenly looks very slow, Edgar Renteria’s errors are piling up on a nightly basis, and Manny Ramirez’s bat is just starting to wake up.

This team’s offense has carried it this far.

The bats have allowed Red Sox Nation to forget about serious problems in the bullpen. Now, the bats are cooling off. The starting rotation has been sharp, but the pen is still a concern.

That’s why Damon’s back at the top of the order. He might not be the man with the golden arm, but his bat will have to make up for that.

Lewiston native Tom Caron covers the Red Sox for NESN.