There’s no doubt that 2009 represented a major step back for Dice-K, as he was very poor out of the gates (8.23 ERA through his first eight starts) and ended up spending nearly two months on the DL with a tired shoulder. It’s clear that the heavy workload -- both mental and physical -- he endured in the World Baseball Classic seriously affected his preparation for the season. With that said, he came back from his stint on the shelf a different pitcher, going 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA and 20/12 K/BB ratio over four starts and looking much more like the guy who won a combined 33 games in his first two years a big leaguer. Considering he’s opted to more strictly adhere to the strength and conditioning program advocated by the Red Sox, a big comeback could be in store for the talented righty in 2010.

Dice-K can call Saturday a successful outing despite the fact he reached four walks for the first time in his three starts since returning from the DL. He also achieved a season-high 115 pitches, so it should be interesting to see how he responds after tossing 225 pitches in his last two outings. He should be a favorable starting option on Oct. 2 when he faces the Indians at Fenway Park.

That’s back-to-back impressive outings for Dice-K since returning to the Red Sox rotation. He threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 24 batters he faced on Sunday, although he did need 110 pitches to get through the five frames and change. Still, he kept the damage to a minimum and improved his K/BB ratio to 10/6 in his two starts back. He’s clearly returned from a tired shoulder as a different pitcher. Owners looking to add an arm down the stretch should monitor Dice-K, who may get the nod next weekend vs. the Yankees in New York.

The veteran knuckleballer has a loose fragment in his back that is not only causing considerable discomfort, but also a strength deficit in his left leg. "The meeting we had, basically, was to determine whether or not it was safe for me to continue to pitch because my strength [in the leg] has gone down," Wakefield said. "We wanted to get everybody together and decide." Wakefield will throw a side session Friday in Baltimore. Manager Terry Francona announced that Daisuke Matsuzaka will pitch Sept. 20 at Camden Yards, leaving Sept. 21 as Wakefield's earliest possibility to pitch in the rotation.

So much for rustiness. Despite sitting out 87 days with shoulder fatigue, Dice-K needed no time to regain his footing, as he handcuffed a Angels offense while outdueling their ace, John Lackey. It's too soon to say whether Matsuzaka is the ace of yesteryear, but things are heading in the right direction. At the very least, aspiring fantasy champs can feel confident in him contributing down the stretch, instead of occupying a celebrity spot on your bench.

Matsuzaka last pitched for the Red Sox on June 19, before being placed on the disabled list for the second time. Boston put Matsuzaka on an extended rehab program that allowed the pitcher to gain strength in his right shoulder. The other benefit of the time off is that Matsuzaka lost a significant amount of weight and looks noticeably leaner and stronger. The right-hander finished his final Minor League rehab assignment on Wednesday, giving up three hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings of a Class A game. The Red Sox hope to get some significant innings from Matsuzaka down the stretch, as rotation depth has been an issue for the past couple of months.

Matsuzaka walked just one and struck out seven in the 89-pitch outing, which came in the opening game of a semifinal round playoff series in Winston-Salem, N.C. It was expected to be his final rehab start, although the Red Sox have yet to say when he'll return.

Out of action since June 21, Matsuzaka could return to the Red Sox's rotation as soon as Sept. 15, when the club begins a three-game series against the Angels at Fenway Park. "We'll try to get him pretty deep into the game," Red Sox skipper Terry Francona said. "Maybe 90-100 [pitches], just to get him back in that kind of setting. Then we'll figure out where to slot him the rest of the way." Dice-K is in the midst of his most disappointing season, having gone 1-5 with an 8.23 ERA in eight starts.

Matsuzaka will pitch on Sept. 9 in a playoff game for either Greenville or Salem, depending on which logistical location winds up most convenient. The right-hander threw a side session in Chicago before Sunday's game against the White Sox. Though there was originally some thought to Matsuzaka returning for the Red Sox on Sept. 9 against the Orioles, the club has decided to give him one more outing to get stretched out. Matsuzaka threw 67 pitches for Triple-A Pawtucket in his third rehab outing. He's now on track to return to Boston's rotation as early as Sept. 15, when the Sox open a three-game series against the Angels.

Dice-K was lit up for five runs in two innings in his Double-A rehab start two days prior, but the important thing is he's throwing without pain. He could return to the rotation as soon as Sept. 9, when the Red Sox face the Orioles.

Matsuzaka downplayed the results of this start, pointing out that he was throwing at 65 to 70 percent of his intensity in order to "just work on certain things." The righty, who last pitched for the Red Sox on June 19, will make his next start on Sept. 4 for Triple-A Pawtucket. Since the Minor League season sends shortly after that, Matsuzaka is expected to return to the big club for a Sept. 9 start vs. the Orioles.

No health issue here. It's more like a weather issue, as a tropical storm moving through New England forced the Red Sox to have Dice-K make preparations for a start one day later than originally thought. He'll make another start, likely for Triple-A Pawtucket on Sept. 4, before making his return to the Red Sox on Sept. 9 against the Orioles at Fenway Park.

Dice-K hurled three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a Gulf Coast League appearance on Aug. 24. That's a promising start, but his appearance against a higher level of hitting in Double-A will help reveal just how much progress Dice-K has made.

Over 37 pitches, Matsuzaka allowed one hit and no runs, walking none and striking out four. "Everything was pretty good," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "Good breaking ball. He commanded his fastball. He stayed down. Threw some good changeups. It was generally really positive." Matsuzaka's next step will be a start for Double-A Portland on Saturday, followed by an outing with Triple-A Pawtucket on Sept. 3. Assuming all goes well, he could be activated by the Red Sox on Sept. 8.

Not a surprising call by the Red Sox considering Penny has a 9.11 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP in his last five starts and Tazawa turned heads with a six-inning scoreless effort against the Yankees on Aug. 22. Penny will serve as starter insurance in case Tim Wakefield struggles in his return from the DL Aug. 26. Although manager Terry Francona said it wasn't in "anybody's best interest" to move Penny permanently into the 'pen, it seems inevitable given the returns of Wakefield and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who's expected back by mid-September. Owners should take Penny off their radar for now and watch Tazawa closely Aug. 27 to see if he can put together back-to-back quality starts.