Red Sox Release Bobby Jenks

With three months left on his two-year, $12 million contract, veteran relief pitcher Bobby Jenks has been released by the Boston Red Sox.

Peter Abraham: Bobby Jenks' Harrowing Tale

Bobby Jenks makes a great deal of money: $6 million this season.

He might not even have to pitch for his $6 million, as he's recently been placed on the 60-day disabled list with serious back issues. Last December, Jenks had spine surgery. Then things got worse. Pete Abraham:

"I don't know whose fault it was. But there was an error done inside," said Jenks, who landed on the disabled list twice last season because of back pain. "I had four bone spurs on my spine. We talked about taking the top two out. The third one was started and not finished. So basically there was a serrated edge that sliced me open in two different spots and I was leaking spinal fluid."

Jenks said the fluid pooled at the bottom of his incision and was constantly leaking. When he went to get it checked, he was rushed into surgery that day.

"It kind of blew up on me," he said. "It caused an infection to climb up that incision wound. So now I had an infection in my spine. It was a combination of everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.

"If I didn't have it done immediately, the infection could've gotten into my spinal fluid and up to my brain. Who knows what happens then? I could obviously not be here right now."

When I was 19, I had an infection and the left side of my face made me look like the Elephant Man. The doctors at the university infirmary kept giving me aspirin, for the pain. When I finally saw a private physician, he suggested that I have my face lanced in three places immediately, before the infection spread to my brain and really hurt.

So, yeah. You think you're invulnerable until you're not. Professional athletes, especially. And it's quite possible that Jenks never would have gone through any of this if he weren't a professional athlete. Which is worth remembering, the next time you hear someone railing against professional athletes and their easy lives.

Red Sox Place Bobby Jenks On 60-Day DL To Make Room For Chris Carpenter

Bobby Jenks put on 60-day disabled list, but could be out even longer.

Bobby Jenks Injury: Red Sox Reliever Returns To DL

Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks missed nearly the entire month of May with a biceps injury. Once activated from the disabled list, he made all of four appearances before hurting himself again. Tony Lee:

Bobby Jenks was placed on the 15-day disabled list and catcher Luis Exposito was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday in the latest roster shuffle for the Red Sox.

This is the second time Jenks has hit the DL. He spent a month on the list earlier in the year with a right bicep strain, returning for just four games before a back injury forced him out of Tuesday's series opener in New York.

Jenks hurt his back on Tuesday and was sent for an MRI, the results of which still aren't known. But while Jenks downplayed the severity, and while the injury may in truth not be at all severe, the Red Sox were forced into a move when catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia came up violently ill. Saltalamacchia's absence forced the team to call up another backstop, hence Exposito.

Once Saltalamacchia is better, Exposito will probably trade places with a pitcher in Pawtucket. That pitcher could and should look a lot like Scott Atchison.

In the 12-1/3 innings Jenks has managed to throw this season, he's struck out 14 while walking 11.