Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz finishes 3.1 innings in rehab start

With the Boston Red Sox in the middle of a playoff push in the AL East, they are in desperate need of pitching help, and they may get it with an in-house option.

Clay Buchholz made the second of three rehab starts on Friday night, pitching 3.1 innings for triple-A Pawtucket. On the night, Buchholz allowed 7 hits, which is a bit worrisome, but his command/control were spot-on as he didn’t walk a batter through the 53-pitch effort. It also seemed as if Buchholz simply needed to settle in a bit, as he was roughed up in the 1st inning (where he allowed the only run) but strong following the completion of the opening frame.

Buchholz hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since June 8th against the Angels, but before he went down with the shoulder injury, he had one of the best statistical profiles of any pitcher. On the year, Buchholz has a 1.71 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP through 84.1 innings, and while he isn’t quite that good in the long run, the talent is there for a high-end starter in Boston.

The 29-year-old right-hander will make his 3rd (and presumably, final) rehab start on Wednesday, and according to his post-game quotes, he’ll be eyeing an attempt to return to Boston on September 10th. Stay tuned for more updates on his progress.