FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell said the team should know by this weekend whether catcher Christian Vazquez will be ready to start the regular season on April 6 in Philadelphia, but given the amount of time he has missed and the caution with which the Sox are proceeding regarding his sore right elbow, it appears increasingly doubtful he will break camp with the team.
Vazquez has not played in an exhibition game since March 13, when he felt some discomfort in his throwing elbow while throwing out Tyler Wade of the Yankees attempting to steal second base. He has played in minor league camp, catching Clay Buchholz in his tuneup Sunday, but was ordered not to throw to bases. Vazquez threw to bases on Tuesday, which was to have been a precursor to returning to game action, but he remained out of the lineup on Thursday.
Farrell said Vazquez is scheduled to catch in a minor league game on Friday, but said it remains to be determined whether he’ll be green-lighted to throw. He is scheduled to be examined on Friday, and that exam might include an MRI. Given that the Sox had not administered an MRI to this point, that raises red flags about how much progress Vazquez has made.
After Friday, the Sox only have nine more games in Florida, including a split-squad game before breaking camp April 4.
“His last game (March 13), he felt something in his elbow and we backed him down," Farrell said. “He took a little bit of a guarded approach, which affected his throwing mechanics, and he started getting soreness in his triceps. We altered his throwing program to get back to his natural arm slot and natural way of throwing, and we’re building that back up right now."
The triceps is the large muscle at the back of the elbow that is principally responsible for the extension of the joint.
“He’s improving," Farrell said. "Any time a player misses time there’s some level of concern because the talents that they are, and a player’s health is first and foremost. He’s making progress, but there are still some steps to accomplish."
If Vazquez is not able to break camp on time, backup catcher Ryan Hanigan figures to start the opener behind the plate. Blake Swihart is scheduled to catch in Lake Buena Vista on Friday against Atlanta, but veteran Humberto Quintero, a nonroster invitee who has been a backup for five big-league clubs, is catching Thursday and could be an option to back up Hanigan in Philadelphia if Vazquez is not ready.