During a scheduled pitching session Friday, the Red Sox closer felt some fatigue in his right arm. That's different than the injury to his thumb that put Bailey on the disabled list in the first place, but considering the Red Sox were already accelerating Bailey's rehabilitation, they decided to slow it down.
"It didn't go perfectly," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of Friday's session. "We're going to let him rest a little before he gets back on the mound. His arm didn't feel great throwing."
Bailey downplayed the severity of Valentine's description. From his perspective, the setback wasn't anything more than tightness after a long layoff, a routine hindrance for most pitchers in the beginning of spring training.
"Nothing major," Bailey said. "I threw two pens and felt like we just needed to throw a couple more before we take the next step. I need to just be confident in letting it loose before I go face hitters or anything. Nothing urgent. It just takes some more time."
Bailey said he needs to get his form back in the bullpen before pitching live batting practice.
"Still progressing every day," he said. "We were just kind of ahead of schedule so to speak I guess, so we're just — we've got a lot of season left. I've got to be able to help the team, healthy and confident. That's what I've got to do."
Bailey was given Sunday off from pitching activities. The 28-year-old said he would return to throwing Monday and expressed confidence that he'd be prepared to continue his rehabilitation.
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