"Jake Peavy is headed back to the disabled list.

''Disappointing, no doubt,'' Peavy said Tuesday. ''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 discomfort. (He allowed six runs after three perfect innings.) 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 likely would start Saturday against the Oakland Athletics in Peavy's place. Peavy also would miss June??18 at Arizona if he goes on the 15-day DL. The official move to the DL is forthcoming.

''Who knows?'' Peavy said. ''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. But definitely disappointing."

Manager Ozzie Guillen called Peavy's groin strain ''not a bad injury, but it's a very dangerous injury,

and we have to be careful about it.''

A call for help

Veteran right-handed reliever Brian Bruney had 249 major-league appearances before this season, but his first few in relief for the Sox were his first in a year. He admits he has felt like a kid pitcher all over again — butterflies and all. "