Matsuzaka moved to DL

Two words: About. Time.

If MLB really wants a "baseball classic", they should extend the allstar break by 10 days, take a few games off the regular season & play it then. All the players would be in their routines & it wouldn't place them at risk....

Brad, take a seat, you aren't going anywhere and Dice ......see you in late February ................Clay, you are a heartbeat away .......

Japan should pay his salary - The WBC has to go -sorry Bud but a 100 million dollar investment cannot get hurt in a meaningless exhibition series

This is the right thing to do. We need him going forward, and we need him to be good. If that means we sacrifice the rest of the season to get him right, so be it. Trading him is not and never was an option, the bullpen is not an never was an option, and demoting to Triple-A or lower is not and never was an option. This is why he have Brad Penny and John Smoltz. We can survive without Dice-K for a while.

Well sorry Dice, but I can't say I'll miss you. What I really like is how he understands that he sucks and he is bringing the team down. At least he isn't in denial like some pitchers in the same situation would be. Its nice to know that he is cooperative, and not being stubborn because a pissed of Daisuke sounds bad. Get well, but please take your time with your rehab.

blah blah blah blah blah!

Wow! If the Sox need more help at some point, I'd hand the ball to Bowden before Buchholz, but let's keep our fingers crossed with Dice-K. Dice-K could also have that phantom injury called "Anxiety Disorder," as the term was probably initially coined - but not publicly used - for Buchholz's mental troubles in the majors last season. I suggest that some of the struggling MLB players who have been consistently good go for Hypnotism rather than seeing the sports shrink.

Type your comment here...I think the REDSOX are being pretty smart here. obviosly something is wrong with Daisuke and by removing him it eliminates the 6 man rotation thing and gives them time to straighten him out. BUT by throwing it out there that they dont know when he will be back they created a better possible trade scenario. Because supposedly they dont know when Daisuke will be back they now "need brad penny" and would have to get a really good value for him in return. wink wink pretty smart imo.

So if it's not an injury, was he on the DL because he stinks?

Time to get rid of preseason trips to Japan, the WBC and all the other MLB-- bs. Are the pros really there to win the the Word Series? Maybe Dusty Brown can be in the rotation. Big Pappi has never been the same since he hurt his wrist in Japan. Now Dice-K get hurt in the WBC. Glad he got the MVP in the WBC now what?

I am not a base ball expert,but since he started with the R Sox he seems to struggle in the late innings toward the end of the season,which to me means he has run out of gas.Maybe in Japan the season is much shorter,so when and if he gets back on track , no more world classic baseball unless they want to pick up part of his contract.This is not fair to any MBL team who pay the salaries and expects proformence.

Every game this year has been an adventure for Dice K. Ha hasn't had good stuff yet! He is certainly not earning his huge salary that Borass negotiated. Borass inflated his talent and the Sox are paying for it now. The 18 wins last year were a joke. I have no confidence in this guy when I see his name as the starting pitcher. He doesn't have the stamina to be a starting pitcher in my opinion.

I'm not ready to give up on this guy yet. Despite the "maddening" way in which he pitched his first two years in the big leagues, he still won 33 regular season games and pitched well in the post-season (that Game 1 performance at Tampa in the ALCS last year was outstanding). The guy clearly has talent, and a diverse repertoire. The WBC probably didn't help his game any, but he's probably also still trying to adjust to the "American" way of pitching, which is to try to be more efficient, pitch to contact and throw fewer pitches. If the Sox have to wait until February 2010 for the guy to fix his problems, then so be it. Pitching depth is their strength anyway. However, this does hurt their chances of moving Penny for another bat, so it's possible that some of the young guys will have to go if they're going to improve the offense for the stretch drive.

Fonzo, if you think Bowden is going to be a better pitcher than Bucholz you're out of your mind. Bowden is a 4/5 Bucholz is likely to be a #2 starter. Bowden's peripherals don't come close to Clay's. If Theo et al thought that Bucholz was going to be anything less than a frontline starter they would have traded him by now. What makes all you bucholz haters think you're smarter than the Sox front office and all those analysts and scouts who say Bucholz is a top of the rotation talent? thank goodness y'all aren't in charge. All you arm chair experts need to stick to whatever field you have some level of knowledge in because it sure as heck isn't baseball.

I doubt an MRI can detect "weakness." What I suspect the MRI diagnosed was "a stubborn pitcher who wouldn't follow a tested and validated routine, who threw too much in the WBC before his arm was ready and who subsequently lost strength and location." At least, that's this radiologist's reading of the MRI.

Check his head out too, he seems to be able to pitch well when he puts his mind to it like he does in the World Champs...if only he could put the same amount of focus into each of his starts.

If players are going to play in the WBC and they can if they want too and can't be stopped by league rules than they should spend as much time in extended spring training as they were away in the WBC after the team breaks camp and goes north. Two weeks in the WBC and two extra weeks in spring training etc etc.The league should put their foot down and let the teams decide if a player can leave to go to the WBC. I hope you read this Theo.

Smart move, the right thing to do. Daisuke needs to work his shoulder back into shape and regain strength, which is probably why, even when he was pounding the strike zone - which the Sox wanted him to do - instead of his frustrating nibbling at the strike zone, his fastball had no life or movement, and was being pounded. Also, got to remember this is his 3rd year in the league, teams have a read on him now, and won't swing at his plate nibbling pitches, which is why his WHIPS was up. And, if he can't get the hitter to bite, and his fastball is flat and without extra life, he's immensely hittable - which his .370+ BA Against shows. Blame the WBC, the way he was handled by Team Japan's coaches, whatever. Just put him on the DL, take whatever time is needed (especially since we've got John Smoltz coming in this week, Brad Penny - who has been a heck of a teammate and clubhouse guy, so far, and Clay Bucholtz down with the PawSox. Let's just get Dicey back to where he should be! (But, still amazing that he is able to be 0 for 17 in bases loaded situations! Maybe it's a concentration thing, too?)

Then Brown goes down to make room for Smoltz.
A five man rotation...... with Clay B in the wings ready to step in if / when needed. No reason to start trading arms for bats as so many here constanly call for. Penny is looking better and better, now we get to see what Smoltz can do. It should make for a very strong rotation now that Dice is rolling on the DL.
By the time the trading deadline approaches, the pitching situation will have sorted itself out, with the Sox being able to deal with "knowns" rather than "unknowns".... a position of strength..

Well, if the Sox didn't want Daisuke to pitch in WBC games, they should have written so in his contract. He has no contractual or legal obligation not to go as no clause stipulating it. Be smart Sox.
Think about this. If a WBC game had been held right after the 9.11 and some US MLB players refused to play for the US, then, they would have been labeled unpatriotic. People would have said there was more important thing than money. (Remember the hysterical patriotism after the 9.11?) An injured player would have been treated as a national hero. But when people in different countries do the same thing as American would have done, all of a sudden, you guys become hypocrites. You could say 9.11 didn't happen in Japan but I am talking about the level of patriotism here. When a female non-Russian American basketball player played for Russia in the last Olympic Games in China (forgot her name) --she just made her business decision--$$$, many people here said she was a traitor, unpatriotic, money-monger etc. So stop using double-standard.

I admire DK; a great guy; team player.

However, the whole WBL thing appears to have shaken his effectiveness for the season. Let's face it- if he was pitching as well now as he did then...he's surely have reaped different results. Of course, the shoulder weakness only makes more people wonder about this whole fiasco. DK has enough problems making it out of the 4th/5th innings; he cannot afford to be struggling in the 2nd/3rd. Even a great bullpen will feel these performances.

How convenient! It's always laughable how MLB clubs abuse the Disabled List. Francona says "It's not an injury...", You didn't need a translator for that..."We needed a spot on the roster for Smoltz and we aren't trading anybody".

Good point brian re: 'needing' penny, but it's not really likely that we trade him now, cos we really do need him, unless we get offered the earth/a good SS/ a top catcher for him. OK Tito has Blay/Bowden in reserve but it's clearer than ever that you don't give up good pitching cos you never know who's going to suddenly lose it.

I hope this is a wake-up call for Daisuke. No more WBC, no more extended side sessions between starts, no more thinking that he's got 125-150 pitches to work with. The East Asian mentality of more work, more work, and more work is not conducive to a long and productive career as a pitcher.

the sox need to dump penny and get Bucholz int he rotation already

Daisuke should care more about the Sox who pay him his salary than the WBC. He is overated and overpaid. Time for him to go.

Daisuke should care more about the Red Sox who pay his salary than the WBC. He is overate and overpaid. Time for him to go.

No one admits Dice-K wasn't that lucky last year. He gave up a .211 batting avg and only 12 HrA. He's got very good stuff-- a strikeout pitcher. He may turn out to be almost worth the money. Heck, we were Matt Garza away fromthe Series last year ... And talk it away if you want, but the guy was 18-3.

Get well soon Dice-K. I agree with some of the other commenters on getting rid of pre-season trips to Japan, WBC etc. But..it will NEVER happen. There is too much money involved. MLB is big business and generates big $ overseas. If anything, these MLB games in Asia & other "far-off" places will become more frequent. Despite the drop-off in popularity of baseball over here, (mostly due to steroids) the Far East loves their baseball. Selig will continue trying to make $ off of them. You can never have enough pitching. We are fortunate as a club to have the options we have. Say what you want about ownership, but they have done a great job holding on to pitching. We are DEEP...

Bravo! Good for Dice K for agreeing to the correct move!

IF we're going to trade Penny, this GREATLY enhances our ability to do so. Why? Simple: Leverage.

That 6 Man Rotation nonsense was simply us trying to buy time, and every prospective trading partner knew it. Because putting him on the DL for an initially short stint opens up the door for any amount of recuperative time, the pressure is now off of us.

We are in a COSMICALLY perfect position: Our 5 man rotation is rocking and rolling on ALL 5 Cylinders, and we also have a GREAT replacement part, ready at a moment's notice, because Buchholz is Locked and Loaded.

Conclusion? With the leisure to deploy Buchholz at our leisure ~ and even Masterson as a reserve! ~ and with no pending need ~ any more ~ to resolve an untenable situation ~ the 6 man rotation ~ we are in COMPLETE control...and anyone who needs a strong starter, like Bad Brad Penny, for instance, must pay FULL PRICE!

Even better: Because of the laws of Supply and Demand ~ the fact that they'd be bidding against each other ~ they must pay a PREMIUM!

Of course, all that's assuming we DO trade the guy! Gotta say I'm loving his attitude!

The only reasons I'd go ahead with the original plan ~ trading Bad Brad Penny ~ is that we can not only get tremendous Value for a guy who cost us nothing, but because I believe the guy who would replace him ~ your friend and mine, Clay Buchholz! ~ will be a MONSTER.

That's TWO huge reasons.

With Josh Beckett and John Lester just blasting AWAY, with Buchholz exploding onto the scene with his extraordinary stuff + renewed Command and Confidence...and the rotation filled out by John Smoltz ~ who could STILL hold down the #1 spot in half the league's rotations!!! ~ and either a rejuvenated Dice K ~ .211 Opponent's Batting Average, last year!!! ~ or Brad Bad Penny ~ who's gone two starts, now, with an 0.00 ERA, and is just getting better and better with each start!!!...and, YES: I DO mean put Wakefield in the bullpen!...

Y'all realize, right?

With Papi hitting, Green holding down Short, Lowrie on his way back, and a lineup full of Clutch Contact Hitters...

We could play .800 Ball...the rest of the WAY!!!

We're gonna win this division by 15 games, folks.

Call me what you want, today. Just remember who said it. ;o)

Great manuvering by the Sox. DiceK needs to get back on track and pitching in the Majors is not the place to do it. Great timing to bring Smoltz in before the break and Jed will be right behind him. The Sox have to keep Pennny now. We'll see Clay in September.

he can be much more effective in bullpen and may be considered as a closer but unfortunately mlb schedule as a whole is too tough for him to handle. by the way bucholz is not as good as he is hyped.

the WBC has nothing to do with Dice-k's issues. The truth is that he is not a MLB pitcher. Japanese baseball is like AA/AAA ball. Face it . . he is just not that good and Theo Inc., made a mistake.

What's interesting is that his velocity was pretty good his last two starts. I thought that meant his control would return soon - obviously not.

MLB wants its players in the WBC, but it bothered me from day one that the Sox were allowing (or were forced to allow) their players to go - especially a pitcher.

Dice-K's troubles here from the beginning have all had to do with fatigue. Well, I thought the umps were giving him the business on the strike zone the first year, but apart from that, the American League East requires more of his arm than he seems to understand. Remember his long warm-up sessions the first year?

Last year he didn't overthrow in warm-ups, etc., and won 18. This year he pitched in the WBC and now his arm is tired.

He needs to come to grips with the fact that to pitch in the AL East he needs to have all his strength - and that he can't do anything else. I still have great faith in the guy, but that "Dice-K rubber arm" stuff obviously doesn't apply anymore.

Joe ....Dice had a WHIP of 1.324 in 2007 when his ERA was 4.40. And in 2008, when his ERA was a run and a half lower? Exactly 1.324. And If you normalize that 0-16 with the bases jacked and you add about half a run to his ERA. It was still a good year, but it is hard to argue that given his tertiary spits, Dice didnt step into some good luck.

I agree with most everyone...Japan should pay his salary the years they have the WBC, it's about time he was trending downward and bad, I wonder if there is a clause in his contract re: pitching for Japan??? Anyone?? This should go for anyone & any country...We won't see Dice-K again this season.

I think Guy Incognito has it right: this is the right thing to do.

We can't be sure exactly how accurate medical information was released to the media nor how detailed it was. There may have been indications that, in the absence of severe trauma (i.e., above and beyond what a major leaguer's pitching arm would sustain as a matter of course), there may be a strain or sprain or weakness.

Certainly this would not be without precedent in Red Sox history. Boston once had a 20-game winner whose performance levels slipped and who was eventually shipped to the National League, The change of scenery seemed to help for a couple of seasons, but then his earned run average began to climb and his career seemed in jeopardy.

During the winter of 1986, he began supervised rehabilitation under the direction of Dr. Arthur Pappas at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The rehabilitation was neither esoteric nor extreme: it involved high repetition isotonic arm exercises using five-pound weights. Apparently, a number of the smaller muscles in the picher's shoulder had weakened and this had led to a decline in his overall effectiveness--the kinesiological version of "for want of a nail...."

When he returned to the mound the next year, back in the American League once again, his e.r.a. dropped from 4.57 to 3.03 and from there to 2.35, 1.56, and 0.61 in successive seasons as Dennis Eckersley became the premier reliever of his generation and a Hall of Famer.

Even given that Daisuke Matsuzaka's situation is not the same as the Eck's, I'm sugesting that something minor, something that began as the result of overuse during the WBC and was aggravated by his having to pitch in regular season major league games, may well be a condition that will respond to conservative therapy that will yield big results.

Take your time, Daisuke. Don't hurry back!

Well no need to pile on here. Clearly Dice-K is a major league pitcher he has won 36 games over the last two seasons. It does seem that there is a difference in pitching methodology between Japan and the American League. I not sure it's because he doesn't work in the early part of the game to establish his fastball and then work his off speed pitches or whether there is a conditioning element with Dice-K too.
Perhaps now he might be more willing to adapt to the US style of pitching and conditioning.

Francona and the Sox did the right thing by placing Dice-K on the DL, BUT LET'S BE REALISTIC, there are Sox fans who will never be able to afford a decent seat at a Sox home game, and to pay that kind of money ( over 100 million ) based on his Japan stats is a slap in the mouth to loyal Sox fans. That was the second biggest mistake in the history of baseball....the first being the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Trade him at some point and get a real ballplayer.....and also a player who is willing to learn the English language, like the rest of us !!!!!

This was not a good decision. No way DiceK should have been put on the shelf. He's a little tired, so what? He'll come around. Put him in the weight room, work that shoulder doubly hard, he'd be good to go in no less than 10 days. The guy's got talent. Sox should actually be going with a four man rotation though: Beckett, Dice K, Penny and I'd bring back Pedro. Wakefield should retire; he doesn't know how to throw the knuckler anymore and he has no fastball. Lester has pitched very well but he can't pitch any better than he has so Sox should trade him now while valure is still high and get a good replacement for Youkilus, who looks overweight to me and whines too much.

I read yesterday (in a comment on another story) a suggesion that Matsuzaka, on the days he pitches, be allowed to go only 6 innings, with John Smoltz coming in in the 7th inning regardless of the score. Maybe now we can do the same thing, but with Penny taking MatsuWALKa's place. That would allow Smoltz to have a regular pitching assignment while not requiring him to pitch too many innings for a guy who, like it or lump it, is getting old. This would also allow us to give Bucholz a spot in the rotation NOW. Unorthodox, to be sure, but I like the idea.

Well, to Dice K's credit, he has handled this entire situation with class and the only finger he has pointed has been at himself. That's refreshing. I hope he's able to pull it together for his sake as much as for the team.

I'd be happier if he were traded!!! See you not for a long long time.

This "injury" reminds me of the one Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield for all you non-Caddyshack-aholics) suffered when the golfball hit him on a riccochet...basically looking for an excuse for his lousy performance ("I shoulda stayed home and played with myself!!)

"Oooh!! Oooh my arm!!! I think its broken!!

I hate the WBC. Please make it go away.

Good Lord. If you just read the comments without following the games, you'd think the Sox were in last place. Remember how the Sox won the WS in 2007? Do you remember who the 5th starter was? Julian Tavares. Please, calm down people!!

It's about time. DL is a nice way to say he's sucking right now; but whatever it takes to get him out of the rotation. If he can't come back this was a huge waste of 100M.....

Dice-K has already proven himself to be not only a solid major league pitcher, but among the best. 200 k's his first year, lowest opponent BA his second. I think we are overly harsh because he lacks the flair of a Roger Clemens or CC Sabathia (or even K-Rod). He is going through a rough period, he knows it, we all know it. It's time to show our support. I'm more worried about Papelbon who seems to be loading the bases every time out. One of the main differences between Dice-K and JP's struggles is that Papelbon only has to go one inning and can disguise any ineffectiveness with some luck to get out of the inning. Also, for those who are bit*ching about the Sox having paid a 100 mil, you probably don't understand the business of baseball well enough. The Sox have already gotten most of that money back through merchandising. Finally, the WBC. I think it was a mistake for the Sox to let Dice-K participate. He was letting it all hang out when it was time for training and strength conditioning. Thank goodness we won't have to worry about even the prospect of that decision until 2013 when the next WBC is scheduled. Get some rest, Dice-K, true Sox fans will be waiting.

Bring back Bill Lee.

Hank, that is racist and stupid. Why don't we tell all the Latin American players needing translators or other players to help with their communication to go home until they learn English. Matsuzaka's salary has absolutely nothing to do with ticket prices. The Red Sox will charge whatever people will pay to go to a game. Why don't you learn about supply and demand before you start mouthing off about stuff you know nothing about. Matsuzaka's the second biggest mistake in the history of baseball? Really? No wonder why the rest of the country hates Red Sox fans. Your contribution to that is truly the slap in the face to loyal Sox fans. Go home.

WOW ! SOUNDS LIKE "TORA ! TORA ! TORA ! " TO ME !!!

Francona you keep right on talking about the stupidity of the timing of the WBC... The league is the one that needs to shut up and listen!

I'm so tired of of Daisuck-ee Matsuwalk-a and his 100 zillion dollar contract. Could we please trade him away and cut our losses? I see this guy getting nothing but worse, and he was never great to begin with. We paid 50mil plus to "talk" with a player who had a gyro ball that never existed. Like Hank said, truly an insult to Sox fans. Speaking of insults...what do they pay Wakefield...who is and has always been 10x the pticher that Daisuke is?

Saw Clay's last outing in Pawtucket. I don't know if he was being lazy or stupid, but he was pitching with bad counts. A LOT OF 3-0, 2-0, and 3-1 counts. He getting by with his great stuff but ML hitters are going to hammer grooved fastballs

The Red Sox are handling this difficult situation with class, as usual. Dice K may well be back, ready to go, next spring. In the meantime, the job is to win the World Series, and we are well stocked with terrific pitching support to see that happen again this fall.