Clay Buchholz and the Boston Red Sox aren’t taking any chances.
Buchholz, who was placed on the disabled list last weekend with a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow, will visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion Wednesday. There’s nothing to suggest Buchholz’s injury is worse than the initial diagnosis, but a visit with Andrews should put the right-hander’s mind at ease, assuming everything checks out OK.
“It’s more of a peace-of-mind thing, something my agent thought was important given the period of time it is for me as far as career-wise,” Buchholz told reporters before Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. “I don’t need anything else going forward. Just confirmation, that’s it.”
Buchholz has visited Andrews in the past, most notably in 2013, when the pitcher battled a shoulder injury that cost him three months of the season. Andrews’ opinion that year went a long way toward providing additional comfort, so it’s unsurprising Buchholz will visit the world-renowned surgeon in light of his most recent ailment. Buchholz had left the door open for a second opinion immediately upon landing on the DL.
“Just having somebody else give you a direct response, given who he is and what he’s done over his career, it’s really the only option for me,” Buchholz said Friday. “If I was going to do it, that’s the guy I was going to see. It’s a peace-of-mind thing for me going forward. I don’t expect him to find anything else that they’ve found. It’s more that I can get going going forward and not have to look back.”
Buchholz, who exited his last start July 10 against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning with elbow discomfort, said Friday his arm “definitely feels a lot better.” The 30-year-old didn’t throw at all during the Major League Baseball All-Star break, per the instruction of the Red Sox’s medical and training staff, but he hopes to begin throwing in the coming days.
There’s still no exact timetable for Buchholz’s return.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
