Worth noting

• Clay Buchholz's wife, Lindsay, gave birth to the couple's second daughter on Wednesday. Buchholz is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Pawtucket in Rochester, N.Y., in Thursday's playoff game.

"Anything regarding the rotation, we'll probably hold off any type of announcement until he gets through tomorrow," Farrell said.

• Wednesday starter Ryan Dempster could move to the bullpen following Buchholz's return, though nothing has been announced. While Dempster hasn't posted ERAs as low as other members of the Red Sox's starting rotation, he has provided reliability for a staff that was desperate for quality starts at the tail end of the 2011 season.

"He has been the pitcher we thought we were signing over the offseason," Farrell said. "The fact that he's gone deep into the game, you're not forced to pitch four to six innings on a given night. There's a lot of value in that. Innings by a starting rotation are worth their weight in gold."

• Jacoby Ellsbury returned to the lineup Wednesday after a day off to rest his sore left hand.

"He needed that one day to let some of the swelling subside somewhat," Farrell said. "We don't expect him to be completely over it. This is something he's going to manage, and he's doing just that."

• Jarrod Saltalamacchia's sore back showed improvement Wednesday, Farrell said, but he was held out again Wednesday and will miss at least Thursday's game against the Yankees.

• Red Sox pitchers lead the Majors in ERA with a 2.31 mark since Aug. 19. Farrell said there are no signs of fatigue, either.