BOSTON — The Red Sox have yet to make a determination on Clay Buchholz.
Buchholz threw 62 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday. The reports were mostly positive, but it’s still unclear at this point when the right-hander will rejoin the Red Sox’s rotation.
“I haven’t sat down with Clay yet to kind of go, ‘What’s the next step?,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. “But one of the things we’ll have to consider is the number of pitches that he’s currently built up to and what he’ll be required or likely asked to do once he comes back to our rotation. That’s the one thing we’ve got to kind of work through right now.”
Buchholz allowed three runs on four hits, including two homers, in Saturday’s rehab start, which marked his first outing since issuing a career-high eight walks over three innings May 26 against the Atlanta Braves. Buchholz’s fastball sat at around 92 mph, according to reports, and the 29-year-old threw 42 of his 62 pitches for strikes (67.7 percent).
“Overall strike throwing was improved,” Farrell said. “The report on just sheer arm strength and velocity was increased.”
Buchholz, who was placed on the disabled list May 28 with a hyperextended left knee, is cleared physically but has been working on a flaw discovered in his delivery. He told reporters following Saturday’s rehab start that he feels like he’s ready to return to the majors.
Buchholz is 2-4 with a 7.02 ERA in 10 major league starts this season.
