FORT MYERS, Fla. — Team physicals are usually intended to gauge a player's health. Unfortunately for Andrew Bailey, it backfired.
While vaulting for the vertical leap, the Red Sox closer wound up suffering a strained lat. While Bailey doesn't consider the injury "serious," he was limited to throwing from 90 feet over the weekend and from 120 feet on Monday.
"It was type of thing we wanted to get on now," Bailey said. "It wasn't a serious injury. If it was a serious injury, then probably there would be restriction type stuff. It’s just a little minor thing that we didn't want to evolve into something bigger.
"This is something where I tried to exert myself, I guess. I was kind of fatigued, where I threw live [batting practice], came in, did some more testing and then went to [the vertical leap] and maybe it was a little awkward. But it's fine."
For now, Bailey isn't slated to pitch in the first few spring training games –– that was revealed on Monday –– but Bobby Valentine said the 27-year-old could be added back soon.
"If you work back from Opening Day, there's plenty of time to get those nine appearances in without worrying about it," Bailey said. "Relief pitchers are pretty easy to get ready for a season; starting pitchers are much more difficult."
Bailey did have one regret, though.
"I have no ups anyway, so I don't know what I was thinking," he said.
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