BOSTON — Red Sox setup man Justin Slaten, initially scheduled to throw a live batting practice at Fenway Park on Monday, will instead begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.
“They felt comfortable last week so it was either the live today or go on a rehab assignment and everyone is comfortable with that,” manager Alex Cora said Monday.
The 27-year-old righty has been on the injured list since June 1 with what was described as “right shoulder inflammation.” He later learned his transverse process/bone was pressing and pinching against nerves and blood vessels, causing the soreness. He said he was born with a transverse process/bone “that was abnormally large and misshaped.“
Rest and posture correction helped calm it down.
Cora is unsure how many rehab games Slaten will need before he is ready to return.
“Obviously with what happened last year and what happened this year, we have to be careful,” Cora said.
Slaten spent from July 12-August 26 last year on the IL with right elbow inflammation.
“This is kind of like pushing it a little bit because he’s been great the last two and a half weeks,” Cora said. “I’ll be very careful; see how he bounces back. Let’s see his outing, too. We would love him to go down there and strike out the side and be efficient. But a little bit of pressure, too, will benefit him. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Slaten has posted a 3.47 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 24 outings this season. He has held opponents to a .171 batting average.
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