Buchholz taking small steps towards return

Sam Galanis
Contributing Writer

The little hope that was left for a Buchholz return before the All-Star break is quickly diminishing. The Red Sox are in desperate need of their strongest starter, who has been sitting with a 1.71 ERA and 9 wins, but there is no timetable on his return.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Buchholz just started a throwing program Tuesday and will need two rehab starts before he can play again. On Friday he will be traveling with the team on a road trip that will have them on the West Coast until the All-Star Game, so any chance of getting rehab in before then is highly unlikely.

"He threw out to 60 feet [Tuesday], which is basically the first step or the first day we have mapped out in the throwing program," manager John Farrell said according to MLB.com. "No issues. The throwing program will be outlined to 60, 90, 120 at a varying number of throws or a progressive number of throws before we get him on the mound. We don't have a specific date right now that he would get back on the mound."

Buchholz’s trapezius problems luckily aren’t very serious, and there were no issues with his throwing on Tuesday, but the right-handed ace hasn’t been able to come back as quickly as he and the team had hoped. It’s been hurting the Sox, as Allen Webster is 0-2 with a 9.50 ERA in the four starts he’s taken over for Buchholz. Hopefully the All-Star break will serve as an opportunity to get Buchholz into better form.



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