“He played catch on Friday, and was thinking about throwing a pen and said he felt it a little bit in his mid-upper back and decided not to throw the pen,’’ general manager Theo Epstein said. “Our trainers took a look and we just decided, ‘Hey, let’s slow this down and do it conservatively.’
“Given what he went through last spring, trying to do too much too soon with the WBC [World Baseball Classic] - we’re two months away from needing his rotation spot anyway - so slow it down and let our doctors look at him. We don’t want to make something small into something big by trying to stay on a set schedule.’’
The Sox won’t need a fifth starter until April 18, based on the early-season days off.
Since Matsuzaka already was scheduled to head back to Boston for a few days for personal reasons, the Sox took the precaution of shutting him down for the time being. He will take his physical along with the other pitchers tomorrow.
The decision has set back his schedule slightly, given that he would have thrown with the other pitchers this week. He has not done so, and may be further delayed, depending on what doctors find during his physical. He also has not talked to the American media. He left the player development complex yesterday without speaking to reporters.
“I’m not a doctor, and I don’t want to get ahead of this thing,’’ said Epstein, “but if it’s a real mild strain like we think it is, then he’ll be able to have a normal spring training, but be delayed a bit at the start of camp.
“I don’t want to put a number of days behind that he will be, but he’ll be a little bit behind because while all of our guys are long-tossing and throwing pens now, he’s not going to do it.’’
But, sore back or not, it seems Matsuzaka was going to be dealt with differently this spring. Francona said the Sox already had decided to alter Matsuzaka’s preparation this spring, slowing it down, based on his trouble last season.
