Clay Buchholz To Miss Start Monday for Boston
By Aaron Somers
Clay Buchholz has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball this season, but some irritation in his right shoulder will keep him from making his scheduled start on Monday. (Image Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)
Irritation in his right shoulder will keep Clay Buchholz from making his scheduled start on Monday for the Boston Red Sox, according to a report from Rob Bradford at WEEI.com. Alfredo Aceves will take the hill for the Sox against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Buchholz has been among the game’s top starting pitchers this season. He’s 7-0 with a league leading 1.73 ERA through 10 starts (72.2 IP). The right-hander has overmatched just about ever opponent he’s faced on the year and has thrown at least 6.0 innings in each outing. During his normal bullpen session on Saturday he began to feel some tightness in his shoulder, just around the AC joint. It would seem that the decision to skip his start Monday was his and not that of the team’s. From what he told Bradford, he believes that stiffness is the result of sleeping awkwardly upon returning home from the team’s latest road trip:
"Trip that night, woke up the next morning and woke up laying on my right side which I usually don’t, I usually sleep on my back. I had the little daughter in bed with us, so. Woke up and didn’t feel quite right, came over here and threw and played catch and it was alright. The more I threw the less I felt it.Being as early in the season as it is I want to make sure I’m 100 percent every time I go out there rather than 80-85 percent, risk having this be something that’s going to linger. I just want to cut it right now and hopefully a couple more days, two three days I’ll be back where I was at."
It seems as though this may just be an effort to get some extra rest in an effort to prevent any further injury, as Buchholz could start later in the week for Boston. There are no indications that he could be in danger of heading to the disabled list.
Aceves may seem like an unusual choice to start in place, but he’s already on the team’s active roster and may be the most logical choice given the pre-existing options. He made three starts for the Sox early this season, posting an 8.10 ERA over 13.2 IP before being optioned to Triple-A. Boston recalled him on Friday and inserted him into the bullpen.