FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka made his spring debut Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Twins at City of Palms Park.
The righthander worked two innings and allowed one run on one hit (solo homer) with one strikeout and one walk. He tossed 25 pitches (14 strikes).
He said after the outing that he was pleased with his fastball and felt strong on the mound during his brief outing
“For the first outing of the spring season, my fastball is running well,” he said through an interpreter. “That’s something I’m very happy with. Overall, I think I did a good job in my first outing.”
The last two seasons Matsuzaka has dealt with a number health issues and subpar performances.
“There’s no worry about my health condition,” he said. “My overall condition is good.
"In the past two years my overall condition was not excellent and was not to the point where I needed to be. This year, my goal is to be in better shape and be on the mound the entire year during the regular season."