After the Red Sox’ Daisuke Matsuzaka left his Monday start following seven walks in 4-1/3 innings, he was sent for an MRI exam, which took place yesterday.
Daisuke Matsuzaka Has Elbow Tightness, May Have Sprained Ligament
Today, via tweet from Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, we learn that this elbow stiffness is “consistent” with a strained ligament, and that Matsuzaka won’t be re-examined for “two weeks”, which would basically mean the entire length of the DL stint.
If a pitcher isn’t “re-examined” until his DL time is just about up, that likely means several more weeks before he’s ready to pitch again; that is, if surgery isn’t needed. It may be quite some time before the Japanese right-hander sees game action again.
Matsuzaka’s turn was to come up on Saturday at Fenway Park against the Cubs; instead, Alfredo Aceves will make that start. Like the Red Sox, the Cubs are also missing two of their five starting pitchers; Tim Wakefield will make the Sunday start that was originally scheduled for the now-disabled John Lackey.
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