BOSTON — Dice-K is headed to the DL with an elbow injury.
Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is going on the disabled list to rest his right elbow, which has been bothering him.
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Francona wasn’t sure how long the team would be without Matsuzaka.
“It’s impossible,” Francona said Tuesday, when the team’s game against the Baltimore Orioles was postponed because of rain. “If you put a time period out there, that’s not fair to Dice-K. The doctors don’t even know.”
The Red Sox made the announcement about the rainout shortly before Tuesday’s game was scheduled to start as rain created puddles on the tarp covering the infield. Temperatures were in the high 40s and dropping.
No makeup date was immediately announced.
Matsuzaka is the second Boston starter going on the DL this week. The Red Sox also placed right-hander John Lackey on the 15-day DL on Monday with a strained right elbow, leaving them without a chunk of their rotation indefinitely.
“We’re going to get (Lackey) healthy and get him back out there as quickly as we can,” Francona said. “We’re going to do the same thing with Dice-K.”
Matsuzaka had an MRI on Tuesday. Francona said the elbow is sprained and Matsuzaka will be replaced on the roster by right-hander Michael Bowden, who was being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket.
The Red Sox had not yet officially made the move as of Tuesday night. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield was scheduled to start against the Orioles but probably will go Sunday instead, Francona said.
Right-hander Clay Buchholz was scheduled to start today when the Red Sox open a two-game series at Fenway Park against Detroit, weather permitting.
Matsuzaka also left a start late last month against Seattle with tightness in his elbow. He started Monday’s game against Baltimore but had control problems as he walked seven in 41/3 innings.
The Red Sox had the MRI done Tuesday as a precaution.
“I know he’s had command issues in the past,” Francona said. “That’s always something to think about when people aren’t commanding. It doesn’t have to be just a decrease in velocity.”
Francona did have some good news about his beleaguered staff: Reliever Bobby Jenks threw from 60 feet and had good velocity.
Francona said Jenks will move back gradually through the week before working his way back to the mound. Jenks went on the DL on May 5 with a strained right biceps.
“He did very well. That was good,” Francona said.
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