BOSTON - Rick Porcello's second rehab outing went off without a hitch Friday night in Pawtucket, and it appears he's close to returning to the Red Sox rotation.
Porcello was charged with three runs, but that doesn't tell the whole story. He pitched better than what his line showed.
After allowing a leadoff single to begin his outing, the base-runner stole second. Porcello then hit the next batter before both base-runners stole another bag.
That put men on second and third with no outs. Porcello got the next three batters to ground out, but two of those ground outs led to runs.
In the second inning, Porcello allowed a leadoff home run and then a single, but the damage would end there. Porcello settled in to retire the final 13 batters, leaving in the 6th inning with two outs as he reached his pitch count max at 81 pitches.
"He did well yesterday," Torey Lovullo said. "First couple innings he had trouble finding some rhythm which is all to be expected just getting back in the flow and the rhythm. But the remaining innings that he threw until the final pitch, he said he felt great. He had command of all three pitches, was throwing them where he wanted to. His two-seam fastball had the action that he wanted. So moving forward with Rick he's going to throw a bullpen [Sunday] and then we will make our decision at that point what the next step is."
Porcello got seven ground outs and six strikeouts, including striking out the final three batters he faced.
"Anticipating that the bullpen goes well he'll probably throw some time on this road trip," Lovullo said.
With Porcello returning to the rotation, Saturday's start for the Red Sox will most likely be the last for Matt Barnes.