Back Sox: Peavy scratched vs. Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas — Right-hander Jake Peavy is the latest player to put trainer Herm Schneider to work. He was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday against the Texas Rangers with a sore back.
Peavy said his back locked up on him while the team was stretching before Wednesday’s game. He received treatment all day from Schneider on Thursday, holding out hope to take the ball, but he’ll have to wait at least a couple of days.
‘‘I’ve never had anything like this happen at all,’’ said Peavy, who was enjoying normal health for a second straight season. “Now I’ve had some back soreness because of my leg differential, but I’ve never had anything like this. It’s completely new to me. I was hoping maybe a muscle relaxer and some treatment would do the trick last night and I’d be able to go today. It wasn’t the case.’’
Hector Santiago, scheduled to pitch the opener of a threegame series in Kansas City on Friday, was moved into Peavy’s spot. Dylan Axelrod was moved up to Friday. Jose Quintana will likely pitch Sunday on four days of rest, leaving an open start for Saturday — possibly for Deunte Heath. The Sox might be hoping for a snow-out in Kansas City on Friday.
Peavy’s setback was the latest in a series for the rotation, which lost Gavin Floyd to a sore elbow and is waiting on John Danks to climb back to 100 percent. Danks made a minor-league rehab start in Birmingham.
Floyd’s elbow is bad enough that he will seek multiple opinions, and the fear exists that he could be dealing with an ulnar collateral ligament that could require surgery. Floyd, 30, is in the last year of his contract.
“Yeah, the news isn’t always good,’’ manager Robin Ventura said. “It’s just one of those things where you keep getting a different opinion just to make sure you have all your bases covered. Once you go there [surgery], it’s for a long time. I think, for him, it’s the comfort of knowing he’s doing the right thing, getting enough opinions from experts. I’m not an expert. I’m going to let them kind of figure that out. Ultimately, it’s his decision.’’