FORT MYERS, Fla. – If Bobby Jenks’ first season with the Boston Red Sox was difficult, his offseason was worse.

In 2011, the first of a two-year, $12 million contract with Boston, Jenks was limited by several ailments, including a right biceps strain, left back tightness and a pulmonary embolism. He finished with just 19 appearances, 152/3 innings, a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 6.32.

He was scheduled for offseason surgery on his back, but had to wait for the embolism to clear on its own before he could do so.

Jenks then had the surgery on his back at Massachusetts General Hospital on Dec. 12. But serious complications led to an emergency follow-up surgery Dec. 30 in Scottsdale, Ariz., near his home.

“Obviously,” Jenks said, “my winter didn’t go very well.”

Jenks isn’t certain what went wrong in the first surgery, but a potentially life-threatening infection developed.

Fortunately he’s back in camp with the Red Sox.

“I don’t know whose fault it was but there was an error done inside,” said Jenks, who had four bone spurs on his spine and doctors hoped to take the top two out. “The third one was started and not finished. So basically there was like an edge, and it sliced me open in two different spots, and I was leaking spinal fluid and it just pulled up the bottom of my incision and kind of blew up on me, which caused an infection.

“It was just a combination of everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.”

Jenks, who turns 31 on March 14, had the first surgery Dec. 12 and stayed in Boston for about 10 days to recover before flying home to Arizona. It was on Dec. 28 when he started to feel ill. He noticed, in fact, the incision was leaking. He watched it for a couple of days, but after experiencing “excruciating” headaches, he had it checked on the morning of Dec. 30.

He had the second procedure that afternoon.

“If I didn’t have it done immediately, the infection could have gotten into my spinal fluid and into my brain,” he said. “Who knows what happens then. I’d obviously not be here now.”

Jenks, entering his eighth season, is several pounds leaner than last season. He wouldn’t specify how much weight he has lost, other than to say “a lot enough.” The loss was part of his plan and not a result of the infection. He pitched at 275 pounds last season.

Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington said the team is looking into the circumstances of the first surgery.

“As soon as his symptoms returned, and he had to go back into the hospital in Phoenix, we obviously looked back to find out as much as we could,” Cherington said. “It’s a delicate area, obviously. With any surgery, there’s no guarantee that you go in and everything is taken care of. In this particular case, unfortunately, they had to go in a second time.

“I can understand Bobby’s frustration.”

Jenks hasn’t picked up a baseball since last season and has no timetable for a return. He expects to stay at the Red Sox training complex until June.

“He had a difficult year and a difficult offseason,” Cherington said. “He’s frustrated by where he is physically and he is making progress. He’s made progress in even the last few weeks, and we’re going to do whatever we can to help him get back to pitching.

“And we remain hopeful he can help us this year.”

Jenks had two less strikeouts (17) than appearances last season. He last pitched in a game on July 7.

GIANTS: Right-hander Tim Lincecum, who felt tightness in his back earlier this week, went all out during his bullpen session and reported he felt just fine.

TWINS: Justin Morneau, who missed 174 games the last two seasons because of a concussion and injuries to his shoulder, neck, wrist amd foot, reported to camp.

THE AGENT for right-hander Roy Oswalt said Oswalt is still evaluating his options and plans on pitching in the major leagues this season.

ROYALS: Catcher Manny Pina will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and could miss the rest of spring training.

PIRATES: Frank Coonelly, the team president, faces four drunken driving-related charges after a Dec. 22 incident in suburban Pittsburgh.