Closer Liam Hendriks said he ”recovered well” from playing catch Monday, his first time throwing since going on the injured list with a strained flexor in his forearm June 14.
”Everything is exactly where we are expecting it to be,” Hendriks said. ”Now the challenge on my behalf tends to convince them that I can come back quicker than they are trying to let me.”
General manager Rick Hahn said a three-week absence was a good approximation, but Hendriks has been stumping for July 1, which is a few days shy of that.
”The 27th is when I’m available to come off the IL,” Hendriks said. ”And so that’s the date we have in mind and hopefully . . . some more days off in there to make sure that it’s healing up right. But the biggest thing is throwing, recovering and not losing range of motion, not losing strength or not losing anything like that.”
Moncada downplays hamstring
Third baseman Yoan Moncada said he’ll start taking batting practice ”in a couple of days” and doesn’t think his minor hamstring strain will keep him sidelined past his 10-day stay on the IL.
”I don’t think it’s anything serious that’s going to take a long time,” said Moncada, who went on the IL on Monday, retroactive to Saturday. ”It isn’t a bad one.”
Moncada has dealt with hamstring issues before, and he was on the IL with a strained oblique muscle and missed games because of a sore quad this season.
He was asked whether he’ll reconsider his training methods.
”Honestly, I just work hard,” Moncada said. ”I don’t know how you can do this without working hard.”
Moncada was in a seasonlong slump but had five hits, including a home run, and five RBI the game before he got hurt.
Jimenez starts rehab again
Outfielder Eloy Jimenez returned to action at Triple-A Charlotte after his rehab assignment was paused June 10. Jimenez, who is recovering from surgery to repair a hamstring tendon behind his right knee, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter.
o Hahn said catcher Yasmani Grandal responded well to treatment on his lower back and ”is going to begin ramping up his baseball activities in the next couple of days.”
Hahn called Grandal’s progress good, but he didn’t have a timeframe for his return.
Anderson second in All-Star voting
The Sox’ Tim Anderson (528,278) is second in All-Star balloting among American League shortstops behind the Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette (585,744). The Red Sox’ Xander Bogaerts is third (525,202).
Vaughn in select company
Outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Vaughn, who had four hits Monday, is the fifth Sox player since 1999 to record three or more four-hit games in an 18-game span, joining Anderson (three in 2020), Jose Abreu (four in 2017), Melky Cabrera (three in 2017) and Chris Singleton (three in 1999).
