Boston Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka is unlikely to make his season debut until mid-April after falling behind schedule with stiffness in his back.
On Friday, Matsuzaka threw pitches with the catcher crouched for the first time since he felt discomfort in his back in mid-February.
His first spring training outing has been pushed back to mid-March.
Pitching coach John Farrell said ideally the Red Sox prefer that their starters get 25 innings of work before the start of the season.
Under that calculation, Matsuzaka will need to pitch in at least six games and requires about 20 days to be ready for the season.
"I'm responsible for what has happened," he said. "Now that I won't be ready at the start of the season, I just have to try to get back as early as possible."