CLIFF LEE ON HIS ARM TROUBLE, GOING ON THE DISABLED LIST

Here's the transcript of Cliff Lee speaking about his injury:

HOW LONG HAS IT BUGGING YOU?
"For the last three or four starts. The game I pitched against Atlanta, after the game it was pretty sore and I said something to the trainers about it. We started doing treatment on it, and it was acting like it was getting better. Then this last start I started to feel it the last couple of innings, just about every throw. Obviously it was pretty sure the next day and I felt it trying to play catch. It was there on every throw. I came back in, told the trainers and they decided to do the MRI and see what was going on. It's a mild strain of the flexor tendon, and we're going to let it rest for a week without throwing and reevaluating it from that point. Hopefully it's gone and I can start working my way back to pitching in games."

"When I first felt it, I didn't feel it on any pitches. It was the next day and it was pretty sore, then I could feel it a little bit throwing. Then it got progressively better, but never really went away. We thought it was heading in the right direction, but in the last start it was back pretty strong the last couple of innings. It didn't prevent me from making pitching, but it definitely was concerning that it was there on every throw. As much season as we have left, I didn't think I could keep pitching like that."



HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

"I've never had anything in my elbow like this, ever. I wish I knew why."

"I was hoping it would be minor. I don't know if this is minor, but it's definitely not a ligament. So the Tommy John thing is not what it is. So that's good. But we knew it wasn't that from the tests they did on me. They assumed it was the flexor tendon, but you don't really know until you get an MRI and confirm it."

15 DAYS?

"I hope so, I really don't know. This is new to me. I've never had anything like this. They seem to think that not throwing for a week it should be quite a bit better. I don't know if it'll be gone, but you don't really know until you get there. Hopefully in a week it's gone, then play catch and in another week I'll be back in games."


HOW IS IT FEELING TODAY?

"Yesterday it was pretty sore. I feel it doing random things during the day, like turning doorknobs and stuff. I can feel it. I have to be conscious of not doing that and letting it rest."

"I don't know if it was a specific pitch, or changing something in my mechanics, or a specific exercise. I don't know what changed, but now we're focused on getting it gone and staying on top of it to where it isn't coming back."

Cliff Lee's elbow is hurting, undergoes MRI

Cliff Lee had an MRI on his elbow. That's never good news. Here is what GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had to say about it:

“I guess three weeks ago was the first time that Cliff was a little bothered by some elbow tenderness. It was really mild, so he continued to pitch through it until his last outing (Sunday), the last couple of innings he started to feel more uncomfortable. So, after the game we decided to have him see Dr. Ciccotti, and Dr. Ciccotti figured it was alarming enough that we probably should do an MRI. So we did an MRI on his elbow and we’re waiting for the diagnosis.”

Is he still listed as Saturday's starter?

“He’s still in play for Saturday now, until Dr. Ciccotti
lets me know. Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but we’ll find out soon.”

Is it the elbow, or forearm?

“It's in the elbow ... It’s in the flexor area.”

Concerned about this?

“Yeah, any time one of our starters has to have an MRI,
it’s alarming.”

Did Cliff ask for the MRI? 

“Cliff hates being hurt. He hates having an issue. We had

to kind of convince him. He was taking some anti-inflammatories. Again, it was
really mild, so he continued to pitch.”

His velocity has been a little down, especially early in Sunday's game?

“I don’t know if it had anything to do with it.”

David Buchanan was pulled in the first inning in his last start...

“He had 45 pitches in the one inning. He had a left

clavicle issue (earlier this month), but he’s fine.”

Where is Cliff?

“He just landed (in Miami), I think. He stayed back.”

Amaro said he expects to have a diagnosis on Lee later tonight. Stay tuned.