CINCINNATI -- The “hot spot” on the left middle finger of D-backs pitcher Robbie Ray turned into a blister overnight, but the team is still confident that the left-hander will be able to make his next scheduled start Wednesday against the Mets in New York.

Ray was removed from his start Friday night with one out in the fifth inning when the hot spot developed, and by not having it turn into a blister by continuing to pitch and possibly breaking it open, the Arizona medical staff believes the finger will be fine.

“There is a blister there, but the way it was brought to my attention is that it was caught in time,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “And by the time that blister is opened or something happens to it, there’s going to be new skin forming under and it’s not going to cause any issues whatsoever.”

Souza update

D-backs outfielder Steven Souza Jr. visited Friday with Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Cincinnati-based surgeon who performed the April operation on his left knee.

Souza appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL, LCL and partial tear of his PCL and posterior lateral capsule.

“He was obviously very happy,” Souza said of the report that he got from Kremchek. “And I’ve been cleared to start hitting, start sprinting in a straight line, and as soon as we get up to full speed around there, we’ll start cutting. But basically, I’ve been cleared for all baseball activities again. Big news.”

While a return for the regular season, or even the postseason, would seem to be pushing the envelope, the fact that Souza is progressing so well bodes well for his full recovery.

Going gold

As part of Major League Baseball’s “Childhood Cancer Awareness Day,” D-backs players and coaches wore gold ribbon decals and yellow wristbands for Saturday’s game with the Reds.

As part of the initiative, the D-backs honored patients from Phoenix Children’s Hospital during their last homestand by presenting a check from the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation for $100,000 to the hospital.