Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't started for the Red Sox since the middle of May, due to a sprained elbow ligament. He initially went on the disabled list on May 17 and made his way to Japan, where he would receive treatment before flying to California for a second opinion. Matsuzaka has now had that second opinion - two weeks after being disabled - and according to Terry Francona, nothing has changed:
"Diagnostically, everything is kind of the same," Francona said before Wednesday’s matinee with the White Sox at Fenway Park. "We have to figure how to best go about this. The player or pitcher has to have some opinion, too. But I think you’re always going to go about it non-operatively, first. That just seems like it makes sense to me."
In other words, Matsuzaka will continue rehabbing his elbow, rather than going under the knife. There's no guarantee that this approach works out in the end, but the Red Sox would prefer to avoid surgery if at all possible.
The good news for the Red Sox is that Matsuzaka has been feeling better of late. That said, there's still no timetable for his return to action, and it might be wise not to count on Matsuzaka for anything over the rest of the year.