Victorino set to open rehab stint at Pawtucket

BOSTON -- Shane Victorino's left hamstring strain has healed to the point that the Red Sox right fielder will begin a Minor League rehab assignment on Thursday for Triple-A Pawtucket.

"We're hopeful it's three to four games," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We're going to get a gradual progression as well. It will probably be five innings the first day. He will likely DH the second game, and then get back in right field in game 3."

Given how many nagging injuries Victorino has had of late, Farrell is going to make sure not to over-play him upon his return.

"We've already spoken to Shane about upon his return to us," said Farrell. "We've got to manage how many consecutive games he plays a little more diligently than previously. It wouldn't be uncommon to see him two on, one off for the short term."

The one thing that's clear is that Victorino made considerable progress over the last 24 hours.

"He wanted to go out [for his rehab] tonight," said Farrell. "He feels good right now. He ran aggressively. There's been no lingering effects today. His BP has been fine."