BOSTON –– The road that Daisuke Matsuzaka must travel before he returns to the mound at Fenway Park is so long, there is no end in sight -- and no talk, even, of when that end might come.

So it’s a major milestone that Matsuzaka will leave the team Monday, and travel to the team’s complex in Ft. Myers, Fla., to begin extended rehabilitation on his weak right shoulder. And it’s an equally big step that today, Matsuzaka threw a baseball for the first time since he was placed on the disabled list two weeks ago.

As to when the pitcher will return to the pitching staff? That’s another matter entirely. His shoulder and mind need time to get stronger, and the team expects it could be a longer process than the quick-fix DL stint that the team tried in April and May.

"We really don’t have a timetable. This time, we’re going to make sure that he’s ready to pitch," manager Terry Francona said.

It’s been an ugly year for Matsuzaka, who was placed on the DL after a miserable start against Atlanta on June 19. Matsuzaka’s 1-5 record and 8.23 ERA this year, coupled with the return to health of John Smoltz, made his position in the rotation untenable.

The team believes he needs time to strengthen his shoulder, and to get his psyche in order -- get his swagger back, so to speak.

That process begins Saturday with a throwing session from a distance of 60 feet, the first time the pitcher has thrown a ball since the Atlanta start. Then he flies to Florida to begin dedicated strengthening programs for both his shoulder and for his body in general.

"We’re going to really try to strengthen his shoulder, and take advantage of the time while he’s down there to work on his whole body. We’d be silly not to," Francona said.

The two-week disabled list ’break’ has been just as valuable for Matsuzaka’s mind as it has for his body, his manager said.

"I think he needed a little bit of a break mentally, too," Francona said.

"I think sometimes, you just get fried," he added later.

Matsuzaka certainly seemed cooked after his last start. The pitcher was morose and subdued, seemingly conscious of his looming fate.

"If I keep going like this, I have no right to be a part of this rotation," Matsuzaka said that night.

The next day, he was put on the disabled list, replaced by Smoltz.

Smoltz had trouble in his first start, but was solid in his second. If he, Brad Penny, and Tim Wakefield continue to pitch well, Matsuzaka could linger on the disabled list as an insurance policy, or until the Red Sox see dominating stuff and the kind of aggressive pound-the-strike-zone pitching they have long wanted from the pitcher.

The team will monitor his progress on all fronts, and then weigh the best time to bring him back.

"I guess we have something in our head that we think is realistic, but it’s a long way off. And it’s going to be entirely based on how he’s doing. So we’ll see how it goes," Francona said.

Matsuzaka, 28, came to Boston from Japan in 2007, and was an expensive acquisition, costing the Sox $50 million just to get a seat at the negotiating table, and then $52 million more to sign him for five years. He won 18 games last year and posted a 2.90 ERA.

Matsuzaka then missed much of spring training this year pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He earned MVP honors, but did so throwing many more pitches than a pitcher normally would in mid-March.

Matsuzaka has repeatedly denied that his participation in the WBC is a factor in his current struggles. The Red Sox have repeatedly stated how uncomfortable they were with the amount of throwing he did so early in the year.