Boston Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka all set for Tommy John Surgery - MLB News
Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Japanese baseball star that took American Baseball by storm is now making his way over to the 60-day Disabled List where he will be continuing on for a Tommy John surgery. According to reports, Matsuzaka will be having elbow surgery
sometime in the next week.
Manager Terry Francona commented, “It’s looking more and more like he needs to have the surgery. What we’re concerned about is what’s best for Dice-K. I think originally when anything like this happens and you get a pitcher of that age throwing the pitches
he has, non-surgical is always hopefully the way to go. Now if he needs surgery we support that.’’
Matsuzaka has plans of travelling to California to undergo the surgery that would aim to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament. This would be done by taking a tendon from his other arm, hamstrings or knee and then replace the injured ligament.
Tommy John surgery is an extensive surgery that requires at least a year or more of rehabilitation. Matsuzaka would be sidelined for the year and by the time he would be deemed fit to play, Dice-K’s contract with the Boston Red Sox would be wrapping up.
The average rehabilitation time is 12-14 months and if that is the case with Dice-K, then he would be returning in the final leg of the next season. Matsuzaka would have to perform exceptionally well after he returns because that is what would directly influence
possible investors and his future in Major League Baseball.
The six year contract with the Boston Red Sox which began in 2006 after the Red Sox paid Japan’s baseball team, the Seibu Lions $51.5-million to get the rights to start negotiations with Matsuzaka. After the negotiations were successful a $52-million contract
that would stretch until 2012 was agreed upon.
Matsuzaka was on fire in the first few seasons with the Red Sox, but after he has visibly deteriorated and failed to impress anyone. Even his best performances are barely above average. In his very first season with Boston, he won the hearts of many as the
Red Sox won the World Series Championship in 2007.
Daisuke has been a regular in the Disabled List, with frequent trips since he started off with the Red Sox. He has been down on the Disabled List six times only in the past three seasons. So far, Dice-K has started 105 times with the Red Sox, meaning that
the team paid a whopping $103-million for 105 average starts from the player.
He was 15-12 in 2007 and went 18-3 in 2008 but after that, the statistics have been grim for him. The last three seasons saw him go 16-15 with an ERA of 5.03.
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