Clay Buchholz “Day To Day” After Mild Hamstring Strain

Now it really feels like camp is back in session. On the very first day of pitcher and catcher workouts, Clay Buchholz has gone down with an injury– a mild hamstring strain. This injury is reported as very mild by Buchholz as well as John Farrell and the medical staff, but it’s an injury nonetheless. Suffered during the very first drill of the year– covering first base on a ground ball– this strain will likely only keep Buchholz out for a few days. In an interview earlier today, Buchholz reassured fans about the seriousness of the injury.

"It’s the best case scenario. If you had to have a hamstring injury, it’s the best one. I’ll get some treatment on it for the next couple of days, and I shouldn’t be out very long.” September 20, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) in the dugout between inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports"

Buchholz will enter the 2013 season as arguably the best pitcher on the staff and certainly one of the leaders in the rotation. A lingering back injury hurt his early season numbers and brought him down to a 11-8 record and 4.56 ERA overall, but after mid-May he was a solid arm every fifth day. Should Buchholz stay healthy for the entire season, it’s likely that he could put up a sub-4.00 ERA and around 15 wins.

In total, this injury is not one to get worked up over. It sounds very mild, and he should be back well before the Red Sox begin their first exhibition games. Entering the year at age 28, this is a key season for Buchholz where he ought to be a major leader on a staff that looks difficult to predict entering the season. It doesn’t look like this hamstring strain is a big deal, but hopefully it doesn’t pave the way to worse injuries.