Sandoval set for Red Sox debut, while Ranger's next start TBD

CHICAGO -- In this final week before the All-Star break, there will be some twists and turns for a Red Sox rotation that has been a strong point for most of the season.

Lefty Patrick Sandoval will start the finale of this three-game series against the White Sox on Thursday afternoon at Rate Field in what will be his first Major League start since June 21, 2024.

Sandoval’s return from Tommy John surgery and other assorted injuries during his comeback comes at a good time.

Rookie lefty Connelly Early was placed on the 15-day injured list last Wednesday with left elbow inflammation. He will get a second opinion on Thursday with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas.

Meanwhile, veteran southpaw Ranger Suarez's next start is uncertain after the American League All-Star exited Sunday's series finale against the Angels in the bottom of the third inning due to left adductor and groin tightness.

Suarez threw off flat ground prior to Tuesday’s game against the White Sox. But the real test will come on Thursday, when he attempts to throw a bullpen session. If everything goes well, Suarez would be in play to start Saturday’s game against the Mets at Citi Field.

“It was better, but I still feel a little bit of pain,” Suarez said of Tuesday’s flat-ground session.

What kind of things will Suarez be looking for if he gains clearance to throw that Thursday bullpen session?

"It's just to see if I can manage the pain or not to make my next start,” Suarez said. “That’s why I want to test it on Thursday. As an athlete, you get to know your body and get to also play with pain. I don't think anybody here is pain free, but it also is getting to know your body and how much you can manage the pain.

“Obviously, you don't want to go on Saturday and have a one- or two-inning start, and then put your bullpen in a bad position like it happened on Sunday. So, we'll see on Thursday how I feel and then we’ll go from there.”

What about the All-Star Game, which is on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia?

“I don't want to think about that right now,” Suarez said. “I just want to focus on my next turn on Saturday, and then we'll go from there.”

The Red Sox are forming contingency plans in the event Suarez can’t pitch on Saturday. With the All-Star break starting on Monday, a bullpen game could be feasible.

For Sandoval, the road back to a Major League mound has been long and arduous. His debut for the Red Sox will come more than 18 months after he signed a two-year deal to come to Boston.

“This whole process has been mentally draining and challenging, obviously,” Sandoval said. “The physical stuff, the setbacks and the pain, or whatever, but it took a toll mentally, for sure, and it just taught me a lot.”

Sandoval turned a corner in his last two Minor League rehab starts, giving up one run over nine innings.

“I felt a lot more like myself,” Sandoval said. “I'm sure it's going to take a few more to totally feel like I'm actually there again. You can’t replace the adrenaline you get in a big league stadium, big league fans and big leaguers in the box.”

Eaton’s suspension reduced

Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton’s three-game suspension for his actions in the bench-clearing melee between the Red Sox and Nationals on June 30 has been reduced to two games.

Eaton started his suspension on Tuesday and will be eligible to return on Thursday.

First baseman Willson Contreras, who was added to the AL All-Star team as a replacement for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Tuesday, is still waiting to hear if his seven-game suspension will be reduced. The right-handed-hitting slugger was in his customary cleanup spot for Tuesday night’s series opener against the White Sox.