Matsuzaka Goes Home For Surgery..Hill Update.. Lackey Ready

The Boston Red Sox and their pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, have reached a decision over what course of action to take that would allow him to pitch again, for Boston or for another team. As is becoming the norm much too often, the two parties have differing opinions. Here's the team's stance...

“We got to figure out how the best to go about this. Certainly, the player or the pitcher has to have some opinion, too. But you always, I think, go about it non-operatively first. It just seems like it makes most sense to me.”

However, and this is a BIG however, a decision was already reached by Matsuzaka and agent Scott Boras and he will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Matsuzaka is expected to inform the Red Sox of that on Thursday, if he hasn't already. Matsuzaka wants it one way, going under the knife, the team wants to play it safe with no scalpels involved. I don't have the medical savvy to say which is the better choice. But wait! There's more bad news about this 2011 pitcher's blight, unlike last year's injuries to too many of the everyday players. Sidearm lefty reliever Rich Hill, who hasn't surrendered a run in his last eight innings of work, has a serious injury that will likely require surgery. An elbow strain is the likely culprit. Boston now does not have a lefty in the 'pen. They can fix that but these injuries to our pitching staff are alarmingly prevalent.

The Sox welcome the Oakland A's to Fenway Park to start a three game weekend series. Here's all you need to know...

Fri. 3 Oak 7:10 PM ET** CSCA/NESN* C. Buchholz (4-3) vs. J. Outman (1-0)
Sat. 4 Oak 1:10 PM ET** CSCA/NESN* J. Beckett (4-2) vs. T. Cahill (6-3)
Sun. 5 Oak 1:35 PM ET** CSCA/NESN* J. Lackey (2-5) vs. B. Anderson (3-5)

I hope the Sox can start a new winning streak with two of their top three guys going. It does look like John Lackey WILL be back on the mound on Sunday. That's great news but the minuses outweigh the plusses. We'll see what happens when we start a set with the Yankees on Tuesday. I'm concerned but I'm faithfully hopeful. Have yourself a great Friday, click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL.