Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has "totally apologized" for comments he made about third baseman Kevin Youkilis.

"I don't know if he accepted my apology. It was sincere," Valentine said. "The last thing in the world I would want him to think is that this was anything but an answer to a question that seemed like the question was jabbing at him. I was just trying to smooth it over. I guess I didn't."

Over the weekend, Valentine criticized Youkilis on WHDH-TV's "SportsXTra".

"I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason,'' Valentine said. "But (on Saturday) it seemed, you know, he's seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he'll move on from there."

Prior to the apology, Youkilis told local reporters that he was "surprised" and "confused" by Valentine's comments. 

Joe Bick, Youkilis' agent, had a more curt response saying, "I will not dignify his quotes by responding to something that is so far off base on so many different levels."

Youkilis struggled at the start of the season, but has turned it around as of late, batting .333 in the last five games.