Uehara could be back with 'pen for home opener
Red Sox to monitor closer in Minors rehab appearance
PHILADELPHIA -- When the Red Sox come back to Fenway Park for the home opener on Monday against the Nationals, there's a chance that closer Koji Uehara will be in the bullpen.
If so, Uehara would make just one Minor League rehab appearance for Class-A Greenville on Saturday before being cleared to return.
Uehara suffered a left hamstring strain in Spring Training that has kept him out of game action since March 16. He pitched in three Grapefruit League games before suffering the injury.
"We'll take it one outing at a time," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We're not ruling out the possibility that it could be after one outing."
What will the Red Sox look for from Uehara to determine if he needs just the one game in the Minors?
"How he feels in just pitching in a game situation," Farrell said. "This wasn't arm related; this was obviously hamstring related. So how confident he is with the aggressiveness and intensity of his delivery, that will have a lot to do with it."