Jake Peavy is headed back to the disabled list.
"Disappointing, no doubt,'' Peavy said before the Sox hosted the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. "I was feeling good and beginning to climb with my arm.''
Peavy, who was close to pitching in staff-ace form before he left his last start after four innings Sunday with a strained groin, defended his decision to pitch the fourth inning - in which he allowed six runs after three perfect innings - in discomfort. Peavy said if every player who wasn't 100 percent healthy didn't play there wouldn't be enough to field nine players.
"I wanted to push through it and do what we needed to do, but I think we're looking at the disabled list just because of the MRI results and how sore my exam was with the doctor,'' said Peavy, whose injury is near where the muscle is attached to bone.
On the plus side, the Sox have five solid starters without Peavy, although they'd be hard-pressed to name their No. 1. John Danks would likely start Saturday against Oakland in Peavy's place. Peavy would also miss June 18 at Arizona if he goes on the 15-day DL.
"Who knows? Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise that my arm will be a little stronger and coming back about a year out of surgery to crank my shoulder back up,'' Peavy said. "But definitely disappointing."
"It's not a bad injury but it's a very dangerous injury and we have to be careful about it,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said.