Tim Wakefield's Tuesday afternoon side session in Tampa was pushed back to Wednesday after the 42-year-old knuckleballer felt discomfort in his leg.
Wakefield, who has been on the disabled list with a lower back injury since July 21, is suffering from a sore calf muscle according to projo.com.
"It's frustrating because everything else feels good, I'm able to throw 120 feet without a problem. We'll see how it feels off the mound tomorrow. My biggest hurdle right now is covering my position. Fielding bunts, covering first," Wakefield said.
The sore calf can be blamed on the pains in Wake's lower back. When the strained back muscles swelled up, it caused pressure on the sciatic nerve which weakened the muscles in his leg.
"It's hard to explain. Someone said to me, it's like squeezing a banana," Wakefield said. "You let go, and the outside looks good, and it's still bruised on the inside. I think there was some pressure on the nerve for a long period of time, and it's just a matter of the nerve regenerating itself. Getting back to where the signal is going down there."
The veteran righty was able to throw all three days in Baltimore — proof that his arm isn't the problem. Still, the Sox are going to take their time and wait for his entire body to mend before they throw him back on the rubber.
"He felt like he could have pitched in a game if he didn't have to cover first," manager Terry Francona said. "That bodes well for his back and arm but we don't want do something silly and let him get ahead of himself and then [reinjure himself]."
