John Lackey

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey issued an apology for a remark he made in a column by Dan Shaughnessy that appeared in the Globe on Tuesday. The team's media relations department issued the following statement from Lackey: "I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print earlier today. I meant no harm, and I am sorry to all I offended. " Lackey was referring to his use of the word retarded, according to a team spokesman.

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey issued an apology for a remark he made in a column by Dan Shaughnessy that appeared in the Globe on Tuesday. The team's media relations department issued the following statement from Lackey: "I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print earlier today. I meant no harm, and I am sorry to all I offended. " Lackey was referring to his use of the word retarded, according to a team spokesman.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - John Lackey is in the early stages of rehabilitating his right elbow after Tommy John surgery. He won't return in 2012, but he believes the procedure will get him back to being the pitcher he once was. "I had to have it done," said Lackey. "There was no choice. Dr. [Thomas] Gill told me I had one of the biggest bone spurs he'd ever seen, and of course the damage led to the Tommy John surgery. " Lackey, whose operation was performed in November by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles, said he pitched in pain for two years.

Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey has apologized for using "a thoughtless choice of words" during an interview this week. Speaking with a Boston Globe columnist, Lackey said it was "retarded" to make too much of reports about some Red Sox starters drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse last year during games when they weren't pitching. On Tuesday, Lackey issued a written statement released by the Red Sox. "I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print earlier today.

The gossip web site TMZ has reported Red Sox pitcher John Lackey has filed for divorce from his wife, Krista. The report cites court documents filed in Texas on Aug. 30, and indicates the couple had a prenuptial agreement. Krista has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Lackey, who was the starting pitcher in the second game of yesterday's doubleheader in New York, expressed anger at his postgame news conference over a text message he received inquiring about a personal issue.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff It's safe to say there's a certain amount of skepticism regarding the announcement that John Lackey is getting Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2012 season. The well-respected Damon Amendolara voiced his doubts on 98.5 The Sports Hub and a number of e-mails have arrived saying much the same thing. I share those doubts. As somebody who is in the business of being lied to by people who work for teams, it's never smart to take anything on face value.

By Andrew Mooney, Boston.com Correspondent There's probably not a player on the Red Sox roster who's inspired more remote control throws and hair-pulling in the Greater Boston area this year than pitcher John Lackey. Yet during the last month, he's been, well, pretty good, posting a 5-0 record with a 3.58 ERA since July 9. This has been all the more welcome given the loss of Clay Buchholz; more than ever, the Sox now need solid production from the back of their rotation, especially heading into a likely postseason berth.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - He was the poster boy for bad behavior last year. In a season of Red Sox woes, nobody sunk lower than John Lackey. Early in the season, Lackey told us, "everything in my life sucks right now," and then things got worse. Lackey went 12-12 with a hideous 6.41 ERA. His wife battled cancer. He appeared to be showing up his teammates and his manager. He became withdrawn. He called out the media on the night of his final start in New York. After the season imploded in Baltimore, he was outed as one of the ringleaders of...

New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said today that pitcher John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2012 season. Lackey had elbow soreness during the season, and recently saw a specialist, Dr. Lewis Yocum. "John Lackey will go ahead and have Tommy John surgery," Cherington said during the news conference at which he was introduced as the successor to Theo Epstein, who has left to become president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - John Lackey is in the early stages of rehabilitating his right elbow after Tommy John surgery. And while he acknowledged yesterday he won't return to pitching in 2012, he feels the procedure will get him back to being the pitcher he once was. "I had to have it done. There was no choice," Lackey said. "Dr. (Thomas) Gill told me I had one of the biggest bone spurs he'd ever seen and of course the damage that led to to the Tommy John surgery. " Lackey said he pitched in pain for two years.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - He was the poster boy for bad behavior last year. In a season of Red Sox woes, nobody sunk lower than John Lackey. Early in the season, Lackey told us, "everything in my life sucks right now," and then things got worse. Lackey went 12-12 with a hideous 6.41 ERA. His wife battled cancer. He appeared to be showing up his teammates and his manager. He became withdrawn. He called out the media on the night of his final start in New York. After the season imploded in Baltimore, he was outed as one of the ringleaders of the "chicken-and-beer" brigade.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - John Lackey is in the early stages of rehabilitating his right elbow after Tommy John surgery. And while he acknowledged yesterday he won't return to pitching in 2012, he feels the procedure will get him back to being the pitcher he once was. "I had to have it done. There was no choice," Lackey said. "Dr. (Thomas) Gill told me I had one of the biggest bone spurs he'd ever seen and of course the damage that led to to the Tommy John surgery. " Lackey said he pitched in pain for two years.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - John Lackey is in the early stages of rehabilitating his right elbow after Tommy John surgery. He won't return in 2012, but he believes the procedure will get him back to being the pitcher he once was. "I had to have it done," said Lackey. "There was no choice. Dr. [Thomas] Gill told me I had one of the biggest bone spurs he'd ever seen, and of course the damage led to the Tommy John surgery. " Lackey, whose operation was performed in November by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles, said he pitched in pain for two years.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - John Lackey is in the early stages of rehabilitating his right elbow after Tommy John surgery. He won't return in 2012, but he believes the procedure will get him back to being the pitcher he once was. "I had to have it done," said Lackey. "There was no choice. Dr. [Thomas] Gill told me I had one of the biggest bone spurs he'd ever seen, and of course the damage led to the Tommy John surgery. " Lackey, whose operation was performed in November by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles, said he pitched in pain for two years.

Pitcher Daniel Bard and the Boston Red Sox reached agreement Saturday on a one-year contract and avoided salary arbitration. Bard and the Red Sox settled at $1,612,500, the midpoint between the $1,825,000 he asked for and the $1.4 million the Red Sox offered. He made $505,000 last season. The 26-year-old Bard went 2-9 with one save and a 3.33 ERA last season. He excelled as a setup man for Jonathan Papelbon until faltering in the final month. Papelbon has since signed with Philadelphia and the Red Sox have acquired All-Star closer Andrew Bailey and reliever Mark...

John Lackey will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery and miss the 2012 season, the latest setback in his rough year with the Boston Red Sox. General manager Ben Cherington made the announcement Tuesday during a news conference at which he was introduced as the successor to Theo Epstein, who left to become president of baseball operations with the Chicago Cubs. Lackey, a right-hander, was 12-12 with a 6.41 ERA in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million contract. The Boston Globe reported after the season that he and fellow starters Josh Beckett and Jon...

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff Here's a complete transcript of John Lackey's postgame press conference: Q: How tough were the conditions out there? A: They weren't great. Q: Did that affect you in any way? A: I don't think I've hit anybody with the bases loaded before, no. Q: How did you feel before the delay? A: Felt OK. Nothing great, nothing bad. Just felt like I was just getting into the game. Q: Was the pitch to Venable one you felt good about?

John Lackey lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowed three hits and one run with no walks and four strikeouts in his rehab outing vs. Norfolk in Pawtucket tonight. He threw 63 pitches, 46 strikes. Lackey should be returning to the Red Sox for his next start if his elbow checks out.