BOSTON — When Red Sox setup man Justin Slaten hit the injured list with shoulder inflammation on June 1, the club thought he’d only be out for a couple weeks. Nearly a month into his IL stint, Slaten is finally about to take a first step toward returning.
Slaten, who has been dealing with nerve issues in his neck/shoulder area and has been completely shut down from throwing for weeks, will play catch for the first time Friday, according to manager Alex Cora. That will start his build-up, which will likely culminate in a minor league rehab assignment at some point in June.
Slaten last pitched for the Red Sox on May 28 in Milwaukee. He logged a 3.47 ERA in 23 ⅓ innings (24 games) while serving as the primary eighth-inning option ahead of Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen.
Other Red Sox injury updates:
*** New reliever Jordan Hicks (right toe inflammation) made his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Worcester, logging a scoreless fifth inning against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hicks threw 23 pitches (15 strikes), struck out two and allowed one hit.
It’s unclear if Hicks will need another outing with the WooSox before returning. The Red Sox could activate him early next week when the Reds are in town.
“We don’t want to rush him,” said Cora. “This is more than pitching. Moving around, picks. Hopefully, we can pass that last hurdle and he’ll be with us sooner rather than later.”
*** Reliever Liam Hendriks (hernia-related symptoms) is playing catch up to 150 feet and seemingly could progress to bullpens soon.
*** Reliever Nick Burdi (right foot contusion) had his rehab assignment shut down with the WooSox due to a new injury.
“He’s having some hip issues so we had to shut him down,” Cora said.
*** Left-hander Patrick Sandoval (Tommy John recovery) is in another de-load week, meaning his throwing has been halted as scheduled. He’s throwing bullpens but has not faced hitters yet.
*** Cora also provided updates on the progress of Alex Bregman (quad), Tanner Houck (flexor pronator strain) and Masataka Yoshida (labrum).
