Nearly one year to the day of his Tommy John surgery –– June 10, 2011 –– the right-hander is scheduled to start for the Red Sox on Saturday against the Nationals, which falls on June 9, 2012.
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine announced the plan on Wednesday. Matsuzaka will replace Daniel Bard, who is 5-6 with a 5.24 ERA, in the rotation. Bard was optioned to Pawtucket on Tuesday after experiencing problems with his control.
After criticizing Matsuzaka's mechanics last month, Valentine has been pleased with the hurler's adjustments in recent outings.
"It all kind of smoothed out," Valentine said. "You know, he wasn't sure. There was a little doubt about his elbow even. It was one of those wakeup days and just felt it was a thing of the past and that’s what we needed."
Matsuzaka made an abbreviated appearance for Pawtucket on Tuesday, when he allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings. During the outing, Matsuzaka struggled, throwing just 22 strikes amid his 40 pitches.
But Valentine cited a distraction –– likely the short pitching stint and looming start in Boston –– for Matsuzaka's subpar performance. Even so, the team has been encouraged with Matsuzaka's velocity, which has ranged from 89 mph to 94 mph.
"He's competitive, he’s ready to pitch," Valentine said. "You know, he’s throwing as many as 93 pitches in the rehab. His arm feels good. His body is in good shape. There's some length there."
Matsuzaka's road to recovery had its notable setbacks. Toward the end of May, he needed a cortisone shot to relieve pain in his right trapezius muscle. It subsequently reset the clock for his time on the disabled list.
Since receiving the shot, however, Matsuzaka has made strides through three starts, allowing just one homer and six hits while striking out eight batters. He'll look to sustain that pace in the big leagues.
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