This joint is jumping

"I think it's been the No. 1 key," Papelbon said of the role the organization's shoulder program has had in keeping him on the mound. "For me, it's just part of my routine every day to get ready. It's just what I do. It just comes like I'm putting on my cleats."

The Red Sox shoulder program, which has been given much ink and little explanation this spring, starts early, almost from the moment pitchers are drafted by the organization. Prospects are evaluated, analyzed, and immediately given a set of exercises. "Shoulder program," in fact, is a misnomer. It's an entire arm program, designed to slow injury from the forearm to the shoulder.

And it's something that was mentioned early by two free agents signed by the Sox this offseason, both Brad Penny and John Smoltz speaking glowingly of the team's commitment to its shoulder program. But, general manager Theo Epstein cautioned, there isn't a whole lot different in the Sox' program than in the programs of the rest of baseball's clubs. The fundamentals, he said, are the same everywhere.

"Unfortunately, baseball's a pretty self-destructive sport for your body," said Mike Reinold, the Red Sox assistant trainer who has helped create and implement the program. "I think it's inevitable that these players are probably going to get injured at some point in time. We like to think that we're prolonging their careers and we're maximizing their years of effectiveness."

It would be impossible to document the entire shoulder program. Not only are the Sox loath to give specifics, but the program is individualized for each player, and even then, it's not the same every season.

"It's always evolving, and that's the beauty of it," Papelbon said. "It's not just set it stone. You can always tweak it here and tweak it there."

Weights are a help

For about 15 minutes a day, three times a week in the offseason, Papelbon acts as if he's in a rehab facility. He will lie, face down, on a training table and lift small weights.