Wakefield heading to disabled list

07/20/2006
BOSTON -- A stress fracture in his ribs will send Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield to the disabled list.
Manager Terry Francona confirmed the injury prior to Thursday's make-up game with the Rangers at Fenway Park.
"He's been diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his ribs," Francona said. "He's actually been pitching with pain in his ribs for about a month or six weeks. [The] bone scan shows that there's significant healing now, which is good."
The veteran knuckleballer was not immediately placed on the disabled list as the team was considering options both inside and outside the organization to fill his spot in the rotation.
"He's not going to make his start, obviously," Francona said. "The DL is a definite, but that wouldn't happen [Thursday], probably [Friday]. We need a pitcher for Saturday. When we name our starter, whether it comes from within in the organization or [outside], we'll do that when it's appropriate. We're not there yet."
Wakefield was originally scheduled to start Saturday's game in Seattle before team doctors confirmed the injury this week during a bone scan.
"The good news is that it shows significant healing but it's still giving him a lot of pain, especially in the muscles that lead away from that," Francona said. "When [he was] pitching, I know it was grabbing him every time and I'm sure it was grabbing him a lot.
"We knew Wake was sore. We thought he slept wrong originally and he may have. When this turned into this, it's hard to tell. Even talking to medical experts who have a lot of knowledge, they say he could've done it sneezing. He doesn't remember one incident," Francona added.
Francona said Wakefield has been dealing with the injury for at least a month. However, the manager said the club was encouraged by the results of a bone scan that showed significant healing of the injury.
The club is hopeful to have Wakefield's services back by mid-August.
"I think there's a chance we could have him back with us -- best-case scenario -- three weeks," Francona said. "That's if the stars align and I think four weeks is probably more what we're looking at."
Wakefield will stay back in Boston and begin his rehab next week.
"He's not going to go on the road trip," Francona said. "He's going to stay back with [rehab director] Scott Waugh, have three days of inactivity and then start on Monday doing things with Scott."
Wakefield was limited to four innings and 77 pitches in his last start Monday against Kansas City and is 7-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 19 starts this season.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/