Schilling, who returned to Boston yesterday and was examined by team medical director Thomas Gill, was expected to undergo more tests today. Although the team source said shutting Schilling down is expected to be one option discussed, that may mean missing no more than one start. Schilling is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon in San Diego against Padres ace Jake Peavy.
The only information Francona divulged after last night's game was that Schilling would spend the next two days working with rehabilitation coordinator Scott Waugh, then would be reevaluated Friday.
"The ball didn't come out of his hand too well," Francona said. "Since he's not in a position of having to play today, Tom and all those guys familiar with him, let him get looked at. Just feel better about it. It seems like we wouldn't be doing our due diligence, and it just seems like it makes sense to do that."
In Monday's 9-4 loss, Schilling threw only one fastball that exceeded 90 miles per hour, a 91-m.p.h. pitch to Kelly Johnson with the bases loaded in the fourth. For much of the night, his velocity hovered in the mid-80s, with one veteran scout likening the outing to "throwing batting practice" and Jones speculating that Schilling had to be hurt to have such a dramatic drop in velocity.
Francona noted Schilling's age, 40, as a possible contributing cause.
"His shoulder, he was having trouble getting loose," Francona said. "With all the humidity last night, I thought it'd be easy. He didn't complain about pain or anything. The ball just wasn't coming out.
"When you're Schill's age, with those types of innings he's pitched, I don't think he's ever going to feel 18 years old again. I'll bet if you ask any pitcher, three or four parts of their body hurt. Ask Wake [Tim Wakefield, also 40]. These guys are old. That's the way it is.
"[But] that was a tough night. I was kind of squirming the whole game. It was uncomfortable for me."
