Andrew Bailey Returns From Thumb Surgery

Bailey is not expected to become the Red Sox’ closer immediately, as the team wants to ease him into action and also, they have an effective closer now in Alfredo Aceves. Bailey says he doesn’t mind:

“I don’t really care. I just want to pitch,” Bailey said. “At this point, I’ve missed enough time to know that (Aceves) has done a hell of a job this year, and the bullpen has been great all year. So for me, I just want to find my role — whatever that is — and finish the year and get to the playoffs.”

How Red Sox, right? Well, now Bailey could be making his Boston debut soon. Justin Albers:

For more on the Red Sox, please visit Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston.

Now, he’s nearing a return. Gordon Edes:

But on Sunday in Tropicana Field, Bailey threw a 20-pitch bullpen, is scheduled to throw another Wednesday in Fenway Park, and then will be re-evaluated. He probably will be asked to throw a simulated game or two, but after that, it’s reasonable to expect he’ll be sent out on a rehabilitation assignment.

And when that happens, he says, he doesn’t expect to require the full 30 days before he will be ready to rejoin the Red Sox.

“Usually it takes just six or seven games, do a back-to-back,“ he said. “I don’t know how long that takes — a week, a week and a half?”

Let’s think about this. A baseball team is designed based on months or years of information. Then in spring training, there’s another six weeks for roster fine-tuning. When a team begins a year with a plan, a lot of work and a lot of data has gone into that plan. The team will presumably be confident in that plan.

Cherington wouldn’t close the door on the possibility that Bard could return to the bullpen down the road, but that’s down the road. For now, the Red Sox planned on starting Daniel Bard, so they’ll start Daniel Bard and keep from overreacting to what was simply a bad series. If there are more bad series for the bullpen, perhaps the Red Sox will do something about it. Perhaps they’ll even bump Bard back, if he’s having trouble as a starter. But for the time being, no, the Red Sox are staying calm, and they’d probably like it if the fans and media would stay calm, too. Not that they ever will, about anything.

”Could be.“That could mean several things.

Dismissive: “Yeah, I guess. I mean, that’s a pretty stupid theory this early, but I’m not ruling anything out.”

There was a moment this off-season where it looked like the Red Sox traded for Mark Melancon to be their closer. Turns out he wasn’t even going to be their backup closer in the event of injury. From the Boston Globe.

Here’s something pretty incredible about Alfredo Aceves you might not know ...

2009: 68

2010: 47

2011: 42

Prepare for another drop. Bailey’s no stranger to injury problems, so I guess the Red Sox shouldn’t be shocked that he’s dealing with an injury problem, even if this one’s of the freak-accident variety.

I had you going there, didn’t I? A UCL injury can mean Tommy John surgery. But not when it’s a UCL injury in the thumb! Haha, jokes! I had you going for the split-second that you were reading that headline before you got to the end of that headline.

Bailey has had one person recommend surgery. It would appear that he’s headed for surgery. If that’s the case, then the Red Sox will be even more glad that they traded for Mark Melancon than they already were. I’m assuming that the Red Sox were not completely overcome with glee that they traded for Mark Melancon. You can’t be more glad than that.

From the Boston Globe:

Bailey has been told he needs surgery on his right thumb according to major league sources.

Bailey was examined by team doctors in Boston Monday and on Tuesday will see Dr. Robert Graham, a hand specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. If Graham agrees with the recommendation for surgery, it could happen as soon as later Tuesday.It’s very Red Sox to have writers break an injury story using major-league sources.