New Red Sox executie vice president and general manager Ben Cherington announced on Tuesday that pitcher John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm this offseason.
Lackey finished 12-12 with a 6.41 ERA in 28 starts.
"He's a much better pitcher than what he showed in 2011," Cherington explained at his news conference.
"Let me start by saying that John Lackey pitched through circumstances this year that I don't think any of us in this room can fully understand, and he got beat up for it along the way," he added. "This guy was dealing with some stuff both on the field and off the field."
This may be the first instance where a pitcher opted for Tommy John surgery, when he didn't need it. I'm kidding, of course. Although I wouldn't blame Lackey for taking such drastic measures after experiencing two horrific seasons in Boston.
No word yet on how this will impact his ability to eat fried chicken.
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