Clay Buchholz was expected to begin throwing off a mound yesterday, but Michael Vega of the Boston Globe reports that he had another long-toss session instead.
“He did the long toss again,’’ said manager Terry Francona. “We just felt like - and Buch included - one more time doing the long toss and, if all goes well, then maybe going to a bullpen Sunday or Monday.’’
Buchholz has been sidelined since leaving a start against the Rays on June 16 with a strained lower back. The young right-hander said yesterday that he felt “better” and was throwing “with some pretty good intensity” during his long-toss session, but also admitted that he still has “a little bit of stuff there.”
“I want to be out there pitching just as much as anyone else,’’ Buchholz said. “I had a picture in my head of coming back early next month and that’s still what I want to do. But, like I said before, I don’t want to go out there and pitch one outing and have to go back on the DL because it flares up again.’’
Buchholz, 26, is 6-3 with a 3.48 ERA and 60/31 K/BB ratio over 14 starts this season.
