FORT MYERS, Fla. — High Five City certainly saw a lot of lows at the end of last season, and now Koji Uehara says “physical” issues contributed to his poor showing as the Red Sox closer.

“It was more physical,” Uehara told reporters at JetBlue Park Monday via his translator C.J. Matsumoto. “I didn’t talk about it at that time, but I think I’m over it… I’m not going to go into specifics, but it wasn’t fatigue.”

The usually reliable Uehara was lit up during the last two months of the 2014 season, putting up a 5.74 ERA in 16 appearances including a six appearance stretch where he posted a 19.29 ERA.


Uehara said he feels rested after taking some time off last September and not having to participate in the postseason. The 39-year old split-finger fastball master said he went through his normal routine — throwing back home in Japan — during the offseason.

“I’m not going to look back and wonder what I should have done,” Uehara said about how his situation was handled last season. “I’m just going to look toward the future.”

The Red Sox brought Uehara back to close out games on a two-year deal worth $18 million. Uehara said he’s in camp to earn the closer role and has no plans to retire at the end of his contract.

“I don’t feel that it’s guaranteed, the closer role,” Uehara said. “I have to earn it, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Uehara could have hit the free agent market this offseason, but said the Red Sox were the only team he spoke with before re-signing with Boston. “I was pretty sure that if I was going to sign it was going to be the Red Sox,” he said. “Since the Red Sox had an offer for multiple years that really erased any doubts about going into the offseason as a free agent.”


If Uehara has more physical issues or can’t perform in the closer role, the Red Sox have back-end pen options to consider including fireballer Junichi Tazawa, set-up man Edward Mujica, and newly-acquired reliever Alexi Ogando.