Lester to the DL

Added on Jul 07, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

Red Sox ace Jon Lester has landed on the 15-day disabled list with what is being called a strained lower latissimus muscle. Boston is hopeful he’ll miss only one scheduled start and be back in the rotation by July 22, the day he can be removed from the DL.

The good news is the impending All-Star break, which begins on Monday, will provide Lester additional time to rest. Team doctors plan to monitor his progress closely.

“Jon Lester had an MRI today which confirmed the diagnosis of a latissimus strain. He will be treated with a period of rest from throwing, followed by progressive strengthening program. There is no specific timeframe for his return at this time. His status will be better defined following the All-Star break,” said [Red Sox medical director Tom] Gill.

Lester is 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA. Until now, he was Boston’s healthiest hurler, starting a team-high 18 games. He also leads the team in wins and strikeouts (110).

The Red Sox rotation has been decimated by injuries all season. Daisuke Matsuzaka is done for the year after Tommy John surgery and Clay Buchholz is out with a lingering back issue. In addition, John Lackey has battled elbow and consistency problems for months; his 7.47 ERA ranks near the bottom among all starting pitchers.

Manager Terry Francona is running out of healthy arms to fill the holes in his rotation. Right-hander Alfredo Aceves can step into Lester’s spot, or they could opt to pull someone from the minors like one-time Braves ace Kevin Millwood, who led the league in losses in 2010 and has yet to throw in the majors this season.

Despite all their pitching woes, Boston remains in a heated fight for the best record in the American League with the Yankees. New York currently leads the East by .5 game, but the Sox are 8-1 versus their hated rivals.

Source: MLB.com