After pitching one inning for Pawtucket on Friday night, the reliever woke up on Saturday morning feeling more pain. The 36-year-old has been sidelined since July 13 with forearm tightness, which prevented him from throwing his signature cutter.
It likely played a role in his awful outing in Triple-A, where he allowed three hits and three earned runs in one frame. From Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine's perspective, Atchison could be primed to miss more time.
"I don't think there's anything imminent with him on the major-league roster," Valentine said. "I'll bet he gets some tests, probably an MRI."
Atchison was arguably the team's most consistent reliever this year, posting a 2-1 record and a 1.76 ERA in 37 games. Through 46 innings, Atchison has struck out 34 batters.
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