By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Daisuke Matsuzaka stopped by to visit with Red Sox teammates Friday and be seen by the team's training staff, weeks into his rehabilitation program following Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament.
Matsuzaka will be out until at least the All-Star break in 2012 -- and likely longer.
For now, there's just the drudgery of rehab, most of which is taking place in Fort Myers.
"Usually, I start off at 8:30 in the morning and finish around three in the afternoon,'' he told reporters. "I was doing exercises to regain my range of motion. This week, I started core exercises as well as lower-body exercises."
Matsuzaka said the rehab is, according to his physical therapist, "going really well, as far as my range of motion." Matsuzaka said.
Compared to countryman Junichi Tazawa, who underwent the same procedure 16 months ago, Matsuzaka is a month ahead of schedule.
There was some uncertainty earlier this season about whether Matsuzaka would require Tommy John surgery, but once the procedure was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, there was no question about the necessity.
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"One thing the doctors were surprised about,'' Matsuzaka said, "is that, when the doctor opened up my elbow, the ligament was completely torn. The damage was worse than expected."
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam