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IL1 Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Boston's Matsuzaka Expected to Rehab at Coca-Cola Park on Wednesday

April 18, 2010 - International League (IL1)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs News Release


Allentown, Pa.) - Red Sox RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has been on Boston's disabled list since April 3 with a neck strain, is expected to continue a Major League rehab assignment when the Lehigh Valley IronPigs host the Pawtucket Red Sox at Coca-Cola Park on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network is the exclusive sponsor of all Major League rehabilitation appearances at Coca-Cola Park.

Field Level and General Admission tickets still remain for Wednesday night's home game against Pawtucket and can be purchased in-person at Coca-Cola Park, by calling (610) 841-PIGS or online at ironpigsbaseball.com. Prices for single-game tickets start as low as $6 for General Admission, granting fans access to the Capital BlueCross Lawn seating area and standing room only areas. Field Level reserved seats are just $9.

Interestingly, Coca-Cola Park was the site for Matsuzaka's first-ever Major League rehab assignment on June 16, 2008. In that 9-6 Paw Sox win over the IronPigs, he earned the victory, allowing just two runs and five innings while taking a no-hitter into his final frame.

The 29-year-old right-hander began his current rehab stint with Triple-A Pawtucket last week and has yet to allow a run in 11 innings and two starts in the International League.

Despite being plagued by injuries during each of the last two years, Matsuzaka is widely regarded as one of the top pitchers in the world. He joined the Red Sox in 2007 after an outstanding eight-year career with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. He had a 108-60 record in Japan with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 strikeouts in 204 games.

Matsuzaka burst onto the American baseball scene in 2007 and established a Red Sox rookie record with 201 strikeouts. That postseason he was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the ALCS, becoming the first native of Japan to ever win a postseason game. He then started and won Game 3 of the World Series, helping Boston to a four-game sweep of Colorado during the club's Championship run.

In 2008, he set a single-season record by a native of Japan with 18 wins and also led the Majors with the lowest opponent batting average that season (.211).

Arguably, Matsuzaka has shined brightest on the world stage, capturing MVP honors of the World Baseball Classic in both 2006 and 2009 while winning each of his six career WBC starts.

Last season, he was limited to just 12 starts and 59.1 innings due to a pair of stints on the D.L. for a mild right shoulder strain. He finished just 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA.

On November 14, 2006, the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball announced that they had accepted the highest bid, $51.1 million submitted by the Red Sox, for the negotiating rights to the pitcher. Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein announced December 14, 2006, that the club had signed Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52 million contract extending through the 2012 season. The deal came just one day before Boston's 30-day window to strike a deal with the 26-year-old was set to expire at midnight.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network is a nationally recognized rehabilitation leader, offering care for people with physical and cognitive disabilities and specializing in assistive and rehabilitation technology. Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network comprises a main operation based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a majority ownership of Good Shepherd Penn Partners based in Philadelphia. More than 56,000 people come to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network each year for specialized programs in orthopedics, stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, pediatrics, amputation and more. Good Shepherd's Lehigh Valley operation provides rehabilitation services in 8 eastern Pennsylvania counties and operates 20 outpatient sites, 4 inpatient sites, a long-term acute care hospital, 2 long-term care homes for people with severe disabilities, an independent living facility and a Work Services division that provides employment training and job placement. For more information, visit www.HomeRunRehab.com.

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