Clay Buchholz to make rehab start in Pawtucket Friday

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz has not pitched in a major league game since June 8 when he gave up six hits, one walk, two runs and struck six in 6.2 innings in a 7-2 Red Sox win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The 6’3, 190 lber. suffered a shoulder injury that was thought to be rather minor. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

For the first time since June 8, Buchholz pitched in a game Saturday. He gave up three runs, threw only 19 of his 38 pitches for strikes and didn’t even make it out of the first inning pitching for the Lowell Spinners, Boston’s High Class A team.

According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, Buchholz will make his second rehab start on Friday night. Buchholz will pitch for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and according to Red Sox manager John Farrell, he will be limited to 55 pitches.

After that outing, Buchholz will like pitch in one more minor league game before returning to the Red Sox.

“I still go back to it being almost three months since he’s been in a major league game,” Farrell told Speier . “The need for a third minor league appearance is probably more realistic at this point.”

In his third minor league start Buchholz will throw around “70ish” pitches before likely being activated “around September 10.”

Before the injury, Buchholz looked like the front runner in the American League Cy Young award race. He is 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA.