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."