Daisuke Matsuzaka Plays Catch For First Time Since Tommy John Surgery

Daisuke Matsuzaka took a big step in his recovery process on Monday, playing catch for the first time since undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery on June 10, according to an MLB.com report.

The right-hander made 39 throws, all from short range, according to a report from the Japanese news service Jiji Press. It was the first time Matsuzaka played catch since the surgery. (via MLB.com)

Matsuzaka was 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA and 26 strikeouts in eight appearance last season for Boston. In his five year career with the Red Sox, Matsuzaka has a career record of 49-30 with a 4.25 ERA and 568 strikeouts. Matsuzaka's best year came in 2008, his second season, when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 29 games.

MLB.com reports that Matsuzaka's rehab is going well and that he will remain in Fort Myers, Florida until mid-November. Matsuzaka is entering the final season of his six-year deal.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka 'Shocked' About Needing Tommy John Surgery

Daisuke Matsuzaka talked to reporters on Sunday morning about his decision to undergo Tommy John surgery to replace a ligament in his right elbow. Matsuzaka has suffered from a handful of injuries during his Red Sox career, but he was shocked when he heard the news that he would need surgery.

"It's actually my first time to get an operation and all I can say is I'm very shocked when it comes to these results," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "I decided to have the surgery the same day the team officially announced [Friday]." (via WEEI)

Matsuzaka said that he didn't know whether or not the surgery, which typically takes between 12 and 14 months to recover from, would bring an unofficial end to his Red Sox career.

"It's difficult to say at this point," added Matsuzaka. "But, you know, what I can do is do my best and come back to the game as soon as I can. It's difficult, but what I can do is do my best and come back to the game as soon as I can. All I have right now is anxiety, so all I can do is do what I have to do my best, and come back to the game. (via WEEI)

Matsuzaka is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 23 walks this season. In five major league seasons, Matsuzaka has a 49-30 record with a 4.25 career ERA and 568 strikeouts in 106 games.

For more Boston Red Sox coverage, visit our team blog, Over The Monster.

Daisuke Matsuzaka Reportedly Opts For Tommy John Surgery

End the speculation and the "what ifs" because the Boston Red Sox' Daisuke Matsuzaka has apparently opted to have Tommy John surgery, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman: 

Dice-k will have tommy john surgery. Dr. Lewis yocum will perform, probably next week.

However, the decision may not yet be official. MLB's Ian Browne says that "whatever decision Dice-K and the Red Sox make will officially come on Friday at the earliest." Matsuzaka was scheduled to meet with Red Sox officials on Thursday to discuss options.

Dice-K, who first felt pain in his elbow during his start on April 29, is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA in eight starts in 2011. He hasn't pitched since May 16.

Tommy John surgery would not only end Dice-K's 2011 season, but would also force him to miss part of the 2012 campaign. Interestingly enough, 2012 is the final season of Dice-K's six-year, $52 million contract. He is set to make $10 million in both 2011 and 2012. 

Daisuke Matsuzaka Will Reportedly Need Tommy John Surgery

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who hasn't pitched since May 16, will undergo Tommy John surgery, according to Mamoru Shikama of Nikkan Sports.

Matsuzaka's injury was not originally expected to require immediate surgery, although all signs point towards Tommy John surgery in the future for the Red Sox' Japanese starter.

On May 17, Matsuzaka was placed on the 15-day Disabled List with right elbow soreness. Matsuzaka will reportedly inform Red Sox management of his decision on Thursday morning, according to Gordon Edes.

Matsuzaka is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 23 walks this season for Boston.

Terry Francona: Daisuke Matsuzaka 'Not Going To Have Surgery'

Terry Francona said Monday that Daisuke Matsuzaka will not need Tommy John Surgery.

"He's not going to have surgery. He's not going to have Tommy John," Francona said after Monday's loss to the Indians. "Some reports aren't very professional. That's a shame. It's a shame that we have to do that."

Via Tim Britton at the Providence Journal

Francona is likely referring to this report from Jon Heyman:

Daisuke Matsuzaka may need Tommy John surgery. After getting word from Boston doctors that he had a tear in his elbow ligament and would need rest and rehab for at least a month, Dice-K is said to have asked to see a Japanese surgeon. He will see a diagnostic doctor of his own choosing first, to determine whether it is agreed that rehab is worth trying.

For my dollar, both sides seem to be speaking to information they don't actually have. What is clear at the moment is that Daisuke Matsuzaka will be seeking a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum for the injury to his UCL. What isn't clear is whether or not Tommy John Surgery is a possible outcome of that second opinion, but given the nature of Matsuzaka's injury, it's hard to understand why he would seek a second opinion if there was no possibility of it coming back with different results than what he received from team doctor Thomas Gill.

Might Daisuke need surgery? I expect the possibility remains on the table. But until Dr. Yocum gives Matsuzaka the second opinion he wants, everything else is likely just guess work.

Daisuke Matsuzaka May Need Tommy John Surgery

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman is reporting that Daisuke Matsuzaka will seek a second opinion on his injured elbow--one that could return a recommendation of Tommy John Surgery.

Though doctors in Boston told Matsuzaka that he would only need rest and rehab for the tear they found in his ulnar collateral ligament, the Red Sox starter is looking for second opinions from a "diagnostic doctor of his choosing" as well as a Japanese surgeon. If the results favor surgery, Daisuke would likely be headed for Tommy John Surgery--a procedure which would likely sideline him for the rest of his contract with Boston.

That Daisuke and the Red Sox are not on the same page regarding an injury and the proper course to take is nothing new. The team has had more than its fair share of troubles with Daisuke since he first came to the team in 2007. If this is indeed the end of his time with the Red Sox, Daisuke's tenure will be remembered not for an ace-like performance, as was expected after he signed with the Sox, but for its myriad frustrations. In a way, having him miss his last season-and-a-half would be only too fitting.

Daisuke Matsuzaka Could Miss Four Weeks With Sprained UCL

Red Sox Medical Director Dr. Tom Gill has diagnosed Daisuke Matsuzaka with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament, saying the pitcher will be re-examined in two weeks.

Terry Francona spoke to the media after the statement was released, and stressed that it was unlikely Daisuke would return to the mound immediately after those two weeks were up, instead speculating that it could be as many as four weeks before his return to action:

"We're not even to the point where he's picked up a ball. Normally, the time down - if it's two weeks down, three weeks down, four weeks down - normally that's about what it takes to get back to the mound. You can kind of do the math," said Francona. "If the guy is down three or four weeks and it takes three or four weeks to get back to the mound, you're not going to get on a big league mound real quick."

(Via Alex Speier)

It's no surprise that the Red Sox are handling Daisuke's case delicately. The UCL is, after all, the ligament that has sent multiple pitchers to the disabled list for a year or more following Tommy John Surgery. If Matsuzaka were to undergo such a procedure, he might not be ready to return before the end of his contract with the Red Sox.

Daisuke Matsuzaka Placed On Disabled List With Right Elbow Injury

The Red Sox have placed Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled list Tuesday with a right elbow injury one night after he walked seven batters and allowed five runs in just four innings against the Orioles.

According to Rob Bradford, Matsuzaka underwent an MRI before Tuesday's game against the Orioles to help determine the extent of any damage, if there was any at all. They do not seem to have liked the results, choosing to shut Daisuke down for the immediate future.

With Tim Wakefield already filling in for John Lackey, and Felix Doubront missing a couple of starts with a groin strain, the Red Sox find themselves in serious need of starters. There aren't any other really viable options in Pawtucket with Andrew Miller making no progress in his control and Junichi Tazawa just beginning to work his way back from Tommy John Surgery. Alfredo Aceves, meanwhile, is far from stretched out.

Michael Bowden also does not seem to be an option, as the Sox have elected to call him up to fill Daisuke's vacant roster spot, but in the bullpen. The organization elected to stick with last year's conversion of Bowden into a reliever, and so far have seen impressive results. So far this year, Michael Bowden has a 1.59 ERA in 23 innings of relief, striking out 28 batters while allowing only four walks.