KND Report: Matsuzaka out of rotation and undergoing tests

June 20, 11:23 PMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Dice-K didn't look happy last night,
and the Red Sox have taken him out of the rotation
until they figure out why (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

After his eighth bad start of the year, the Red Sox have finally decided what to do with Dice-K: pull him from the rotation and send him to the doctor's.

Matsuzaka was on the DL earlier this season for a tired shoulder, which Boston suspects is related to his time in the WBC.

They have the same concerns about his season-long struggles, and they want him inactive while they figure out what's wrong with him.

"It all started with the WBC and him not having a consistent base," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We've been fighting that all year."

Like many clubs, the Red Sox are concerned that players—particularly pitchers—don't get their regular work in before participating in the World Baseball Classic.

Francona explained, "He ramped up pretty quick. But there wasn't that base to build off of for the entire season."

Some teams don't let their players participate, while others try and place special demands on the teams. One of the criticisms of the American team was that manager Davey Johnson didn't play to win, but to give players proper preparation for the regular season.

Now, it's apparent why. Dice-K was once again the MVP of the WBC, where he was 3-0, with 14.2 IP. That may not seem like a lot, but they were high-leverage innings, where Matsuzaka was clearly delivering maximum effort.

He threw 249 pitches in those three outings, a heavy load, especially since they were in actual game situations. MLB pitchers often have a plan for how they pitch in spring training games—one of the many reasons why spring-training stats don't mean much—and they'll experiment with new pitches, throw low-stress pitches, or throw pitches with less effort.

Think of it as a month-long warmup, a warmup that Dice-K didn't have.

Or at least that's Boston's theory. 

As for Dice-K, he only knows that he' struggling in a way he's never struggled before. "I can probably say that never before have I faced such a tough time period," he said after the Red Sox announced their plans. "But I also believe that it has to end some time, and I have to do what it takes."

For now, he's going to see Dr. Thomas Gill, the team physician, who will work in conjunction with Red Sox trainers to figure out why Dice-K is so off his game. Until they do, the Red Sox will use the recently healthy John Smoltz.

As far as the WBC goes, the league may have to reassess how players are used in the tournament. So far, Matsuzaka is the only player showing this kind of fatigue, but Jake Peavy (currently on the DL) might ascribe his injury to his 5 IP in the WBC.

Other pitchers, like Javier Vazquez (currently keading MLB in strikeouts), Roy Oswalt (whose walk rate and ERA are slightly inflated), and Felix Hernandez, are healthy and pitching as well as they ever have. Among MLB pitchers with at least 8 IP in the WBC, only Carlos Silva is putting up a line much worse than last year (and many would argue he was on a downslope beginning last season anyway).

The season's still early, however, and if more WBC players—especially pitchers—start hitting the DL, the WBC (or at least its format) may find itself in serious trouble.

Keep reading the Kattobase Nihonjin Dariigaa (KND) at the Asian-American Sports Examiner to keep up on all the latest news about Asian baseball players in MLB!