BOSTON -- Will Koji Uehara pitch again for the Red Sox this season?
"I hope so," said Uehara, who is in the early stages of a throwing program he initiated at the start of this week.
The righty reliever has been out since July 20 with a right pectoral strain. It is an unusual injury for a pitcher, making it hard for the Red Sox to put much of an estimate on a return date.
Uehara has been playing catch at a distance of 90 feet.
"He'll increase the distance and the volume based on tolerance," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "I think these early throwing sessions have been encouraging to date."
But Uehara knows he is up against the clock, with just 49 games left in the season.
"I'm far away from my peak performance or the best I can be," said Uehara. "All I can do is work every day and try to get better."