Shane Victorino was placed on the disabled list at the end of spring training with a left hamstring strain and had his return briefly delayed due to a bout of the flu, but he’s finally getting closer to making his season debut.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports that Victorino will begin a minor league rehab assignment Saturday, likely with Triple-A Pawtucket. He’ll then get the day off Sunday before playing back-to-back games on Monday and Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, he could be activated for next Thursday’s game against the Yankees.
With Victorino on the verge of returning, things are fixing to get very interesting in Boston’s outfield. Jackie Bradley, Jr. was originally expected to be sent down, but he has been playing center field on a daily basis recently while Grady Sizemore has been getting exposure in left field. Mike Carp could be the odd man out here, but the Red Sox would have to expose him to waivers if he’s removed from the active roster, which means they’d almost certainly lose him. It’s a tough call.
