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Jarrod Saltalamacchia Adjusts in Batter’s Box, Behind Plate to Keep Up With Rigors of Everyday Catching

Catching is the most demanding position in baseball. Crouched down for the majority of a game, catchers put a lot of pressure on their back and knees.

The workload caught up with Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia last
week, when he was sidelined for three games with back spasms.

When he returned to the lineup Sept. 12, Saltalamacchia said he had
no major concerns, but he has still adjusted at the plate to keep the injury from flaring up again.

"I wasn't trying to do too much," Saltalamacchia said. "You know, 'cause of the back, I wasn't trying to overswing. But I felt comfortable, I was staying in on balls, I wasn't trying to pull anything. Felt pretty good."

Saltalamacchia's return was further complicated by something he couldn't
have expected, though. One of Saltalamacchia's three hits that night
against the Yankees was a triple — just the fifth of his big league career. While hustling around
the bases, he felt pain in his back again.

"I got the hardest part of the way, which was the triple," Saltalamacchia said. "But after that, my back started getting tighter a little bit, so I was really just trying to focus on that, stay in the game, and we were right in there."

Saltalamacchia has continued to receive treatment and has been able to stay in the lineup. He's caught a career-high 111 games this season, eclipsing last year's mark by eight games.

To preserve Saltalamacchia for the last three weeks of the season, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine will likely alternate between him and Ryan Lavarnway, as he did last week.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is offering 100 healthy tips to celebrate Fenway Park's centennial. Visit 100pitches.org to learn more.