BOSTON – The $103 million investment the Boston Red Sox made in pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka took another hit Friday when Manager Terry Francona said the right-hander probably will need elbow surgery.
The team transferred Matsuzaka from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list amid reports he has decided to have reconstructive surgery that could sideline him for at least 12 months.
“It’s looking more and more that he’s going to need to have the surgery,” Francona said before Friday night’s game against the Oakland A’s. “He is very driven to come back and help us next year.”
The Red Sox also appear to have lost lefty reliever Rich Hill for the season. He has a damaged ligament in his pitching elbow and, like Matsuzaka, likely will have Tommy John surgery. Boston placed him on the 15-day disabled list and called up lefty Tommy Hottovy from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Hottovy, 29, is in the majors for the first time after being drafted by Boston in the fourth round in 2004.
Matsuzaka signed a six-year, $52 million contract with the Red Sox through the 2012 season in December 2006 after a brilliant career in Japan. Boston also had to pay $51.1 million to the Seibu Lions for the right to negotiate with him.
The investment has produced disappointing returns.
Matsuzaka’s best season came in 2007, when he was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting.
But after going 31-15 with a 3.72 ERA in his first two seasons, Matsuzaka was 16-15 with a 5.03 ERA the past three years when he had four stints on the disabled list. In eight appearances this year, seven of them starts, he is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA. In his career with Boston, he is 49-30 with a 4.25 ERA.
He did have two of his best outings in his career in consecutive starts, allowing one hit in seven scoreless innings on April 18 against Toronto and one hit in eight scoreless innings on April 23 at the Angels. But in four appearances since then, he allowed 12 earned runs and 16 hits in 151/3 innings.
“If (Matsuzaka) is prepared to go that (surgical) route, we support that,” Francona said.
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