THE SIDELINES : Season’s Over for Boston’s Burks

The Boston Red Sox, their chance at defending the American League East title slipping away, will be without center fielder Ellis Burks for the rest of the season.

Burks separated his right shoulder in a collision with left fielder Mike Greenwell in Oakland last week. It was first thought that he would miss only about two weeks. But Burks says now that he is through for the year.

“My next game will be in spring training,” he said Monday night. “I thought I’d be able to come back, but look, I can’t even lift my arm.”

Burks, who was sidelined from June 14 until Aug. 1 after injuring his left shoulder while diving for a ball against the Detroit Tigers, was hitting .303 with 12 homers, 61 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He was on a 15-game hitting streak at the time of his latest injury.