After a mysterious leg infection landed him in the hospital Aug. 19, Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was released from Massachusetts General Hospital Monday afternoon.
Saltalamacchia experienced swelling in his right leg just over a week ago and when he went to the doctors for a diagnosis, the medical staff couldn't locate the source of the problem. They tried administering oral antibiotics, but the catcher's leg didn’t respond, and began swelling even more.
During his hospital stay, the doctors tried a different treatment method and hooked Saltalamacchia to an IV line. Luckily for Salty and the Red Sox, the IV worked. If the process had not been successful, surgery was the viable option to determine the source of the problem.
Saltalamacchia, who was acquired by the Red Sox on July 31, still isn't sure how he contracted the infection, he's just hoping its behind him now that he's out of the hospital.
"I don't know how I got [the infection]," he said. "Hopefully I'm past that now. I feel good. There's still a little pain, but the infection's gone. My leg is back to normal size.
"I was miserable, sitting in a bed. There was nothing I could do," Saltalamacchia added.
The catcher returned to Fenway Park before the series opener against the Seattle Mariners on Monday. He participated in his first baseball-related activity in over a week in the pregame, as he played some catch with other players. He was scheduled to take some batting practice before Tuesday's game.
The Red Sox' next move with Saltalamacchia is to send him to play with Triple-A Pawtucket in Rochester for a rehab stint.
In his three games played for the Red Sox thus far, Saltalamacchia has gone 2-for-6 with two doubles and one run scored.
