Clement is latest addition to the DL
ATLANTA -- Matt Clement (strained right shoulder) joined David Wells and Keith Foulke on the disabled list yesterday, leaving the Red Sox without a starter for Monday's game against Washington and creating yet another vacancy for general manager Theo Epstein to fill.
Epstein did make multiple moves yesterday, activating outfielder Gabe Kapler (who assumed Clement's roster spot) and claiming 6-foot-8-inch righthander Kyle Snyder, who was 0-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) with the Triple A Omaha Royals. Snyder, 2-9 with a 5.91 ERA in 29 big league games, is a leading candidate to start Monday.
Because the Sox have multiple offdays this month, Monday is the only day in June when the team will need a fifth starter. The 28-year-old Snyder, meanwhile, has a minor league option remaining, meaning the Sox could add him to the roster, pitch him Monday, then demote him. That gives him an edge Monday over Pawtucket righthander Matt Ginter (3-8, 3.40 ERA), who does not have options remaining. Snyder, in his only big league start this year, lasted just two innings, tagged for nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits June 8 against Texas.
But in purchasing Kapler's contract and claiming Snyder, the Sox had to create two spots on the 40-man roster. They designated lefthander Mike Holtz and outfielder Dustan Mohr for assignment, effectively ending their stints with the club. The Sox have 10 days to trade, release, or outright Holtz and Mohr to the minors.
Clement, meanwhile, left the club Thursday morning to return to Boston for tests. He's pitched just twice since May 29 because of spasms in his biceps and a dead feeling in his arm. An MRI arthrogram -- a process that involves injecting a dye into joint space to make an MRI more readable -- showed no structural damage yesterday, according to manager Terry Francona.
Still, Clement ``had a little laxity [in his shoulder], which I think they attribute to the spastic feeling, the loss of musculature," Francona said. ``He was feeling weaker. He's going through a strengthening program. He just has to get stronger."
Francona received word of Clement's diagnosis while speaking with the media and didn't immediately know whether Clement would be able to pitch in two weeks, when he'll be eligible to come off the DL.
Asked if there is a mental benefit for Clement to taking a rest, Francona said, ``I don't think he wanted one. I think the one thing Matt really valued was taking the ball every five days. That was a big deal to him."
Clement, before coming to the Sox in 2005 on a three-year, $25 million deal, had missed just one start purely because of a health-related reason. That was in September 2001, when he was hit on the wrist by a batted ball.
But this season he's been pushed back because of an opponent (New York) and skipped once because of health. Those health issues have involved being hit in the leg by a Bernie Williams liner, battling a quadriceps injury, and enduring this period of arm spasms. He is 5-5 with a 6.61 ERA, having allowed 131 base runners in 65 innings. He has failed to strike out a batter in two of his last three starts, something he'd failed to do only twice in 235 games to begin his career.
``Physically, he's not feeling real good, but as far as how this has affected him and how long I couldn't tell you," Francona said.
Francona and Kapler, throughout the rehab process, refused to offer a timetable for the outfielder's return. However, asked yesterday what the timetable was all along, Francona said something rather amazing.
``Scott Waugh was the guy who told me June 15 was a fair assessment," Francona said, conjuring a conversation he had with the team's rehab coordinator last September. ``That's a pretty good diagnosis. That's pretty remarkable."
How excited was Kapler?
``Extraordinarily," he said.
Kapler played in only 11 games on his rehab assignment -- four in extended spring training, three in Double A Portland, and four at Pawtucket. He estimated that he had approximately 45 at-bats.
``He's running pretty well, he doesn't have a lot of at-bats, but he's a Red Sox, through and through," Francona said. ``He gives us a righthanded bat that we hadn't had. What else he can bring [in leadership] we appreciate."
This leaves the Sox with 11 pitchers.
Kapler, whose left calf was much thinner than his right during spring training, was asked if those muscles have evened out. He took a long look and decided they haven't.
``I hear it takes up to a year to come back," he said. ``But it's not an indication of strength. It's just an indication of size."
Francona, though, is wondering something Kapler must be wondering, too.
``It will be really interesting to see if he can get 100 percent back," Francona said. ``I don't know. We'll see. When I talked to Scott Waugh when he got hurt, he said, `He's such a hard worker, he'll get back. The biggest question is if he can come back at 100 percent.' "
Francona said he'd be willing to use Kapler in any situation, including pinch running.
``I don't think we're surprised he's doing well," Francona said. ``I think we were sort of surprised he didn't do it last year. Through all his struggles he was very classy and I really enjoyed him. He just had a tough time. That happens. The game's played by humans and he had a tough time."
And he battled back issues.
``It looked to me like sometimes, in the cold, when he was moving to his left, he couldn't bend over and make that play," Francona said. ``That happened a lot."
Renteria, it seems, was molded as a National League player and never quite adjusted.
``The brand of baseball he played he was used to," Francona said. ``A lot of times he'd look at me and go, `Sacrifice.' And I'd go, `No, double. Whack that ball in the alley.' "
