"Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived at Fenway Park yesterday and tried to go about his business as usual.

He stretched on the field. Then he played catch with interpreter Kenta Yamada, tossing the ball softly. When the Red Sox took batting practice, Matsuzaka stood out in center field — by himself — and shagged flies, gingerly tossing the balls back to a collection point behind second base.

Nothing strenuous. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Although he faces season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Matsuzaka comported himself before last night's game against the Oakland A's as though everything was status quo, when the truth was it was anything but. On Thursday, the team's offday, Matsuzaka met with manager Terry Francona and members of the team's front office and medical staff at Fenway to discuss the second opinion he received in Los Angeles last week from Dr. Lewis Yocum.

Matsuzaka had yet to disclose his next course of action, declining interview requests before last night's game. But Francona told reporters, "It's looking more and more like he needs to have the surgery.''

After the game, Francona said Matsuzaka will have the surgery next week, to be performed by Yocum.

Matsuzaka, 30, was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 18 with a right elbow sprain. He is 3-3 with a 5.30 ERA in seven starts and one relief appearance.

He was transferred to the 60-day disabled list yesterday to make room on the 40-man roster for lefthanded reliever Tommy Hottovy, who was called up from Triple A Pawtucket. Hottovy fills the void left when lefthander Rich Hill injured his forearm in Wednesday's loss to the White Sox."