May 25, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The major focus in the minor leagues this week is without a doubt rehabilitating injured players from the majors. Four players from Boston have played or will play with Pawtucket as part of their recovery.
Clay Buchholz – On Friday, Clay will pitch for Pawtucket in a rehab start. John Farrell said that Clay will pitch about five innings as part of his recovery from a hyperextended knee. Whether this will be Clay’s only minor league start before returning to Boston is not clear. Even before the injury, Clay had been struggling been struggling. Sox fans are hoping that his DL stint will get him back on track.
Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino – Middlebrooks will also begin his rehab assignment with Pawtucket on Friday. The third basemen is recovering from a fractured right index finger. Victorino will also start rehabbing with the Paw Sox some time this weekend.
Felix Doubront – The lefty pitched for Pawtucket on Tuesday. He went 4.2 innings and gave up two earned runs. He allowed six hits and struck out two. He threw 75 pitches. He’s been on the DL since May 21 with a shoulder strain.
Not every notable occurrence in the minor leagues this week is a rehab assignment.
Mookie Betts – The rising star, born Markus Lynn Betts, continues to make his way to the big leagues. In the last ten games he’s racked up eight hits and drawn six walks. As he’s moved quickly from the AA Portland Sea Dogs to the AAA Paw Sox, it’s quite possible that he’ll don a Boston uniform some time this season.
Travis Shaw – The 24-year old left-handed hitter has been playing first base and has racked up 12 hits in the last ten games. He is rocking a .301 average. The Red Sox selected him in the ninth round of the First Year Player Draft in 2011. In 2013, MLB ranked him 20th among Sox prospects.