Clay Buchholz Returns To Red Sox

Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz has re-joined the team's staring rotation after recovering from an illness. The team activated him from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday and he's expected to start against the Tampa Bay Rays.

OFFICIAL: @RedSox activate RHP Clay Buchholz from 15-day DL for tonight's start vs the Rays at Tropicana Field.

— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2012

Buchholz has struggled this season with a 5.53 ERA in just over 86 innings, but the Red Sox will still be happy to have him back in the rotation.

He went on the disabled list back in June with Esophagitis, which caused erosion of his esophagus and gastrointestinal bleeding. He's since recovered to the point of being able to pitch. Mauro Gomez will go back to Triple-A to make room for Buchholz on the 25-man roster.

Boston is 10 games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East, and is chasing the Los Angeles Angels in the Wild Card race.

Clay Buchholz In Recovery Mode

The last time Clay Buchholz pitched was June 19, when he allowed five runs in six innings to the Marlins. Prior to that, he'd run off four strong starts in a row, so it seemed like an unwelcome step back. Then it was followed by a more unwelcome step back, as Buchholz came down with esophagitis. That isn't just inflammation of the esophagus -- it's something much much grosser. How's Buchholz coming along? We turn to Peter Abraham:

Information has been scant. He was last said to have returned to working out. Buchholz last pitched on June 19, so he is going to miss at least a month and will need at least one rehab game or two. Best guess is late July or early August.

Right now, the Red Sox are just two games out of a wild-card slot, although they're behind the Angels, Orioles, Indians, and Rays. Lately they've been giving starts to Aaron Cook, and Aaron Cook has struck out two of the 93 batters he's faced. Two strikeouts, in four starts. Both of them in the same start. I'm not saying a healthy Buchholz is absolutely critical for the Red Sox's hopes, because it's not like Buchholz has been a pillar of consistency, but the Red Sox probably wouldn't mind the depth.

Clay Buchholz Diagnosed With Esophagitis

There are injuries you're used to -- sprained ankles, hamstrings, cuticles -- and then there are good-gravy injuries that make you start thinking about the player instead of baseball. Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz has one of the latter.

Word on Buchholz: He has esophagitis, "which led to an erosion of the esophagus and an associated gastrointestinal bleed."

— Tim Britton (@TBritton_Projo) June 26, 2012

Buchholz was having a miserable season, though there aren't a lot of studies on early-term esophagitis and its effects on major-league pitchers. Nor are there any studies on post-esophagitis rehabilitations for pitchers, so the Red Sox aren't expecting much of anything right now. There was a hope that Buchholz was just ill, and that he'd return in a couple of weeks.

Even the chatty types don't have a lot to say about the diagnosis.

From Bobby Valentine:

"It's a personal situation. I'm a little in the dark," Valentine said. "It's been explained to me, and it's technical stuff. So for me to try to reiterate that in doctorese, it's not the way I feel comfortable obviously. It's medical stuff. It's a medical situation that's being taken care of."

The Red Sox replaced Buchholz in the rotation with Daisuke Matsuzaka after the illness.

Clay Buchholz Hospitalized, On Disabled List

The Red Sox righthander will miss at least a couple of starts while on the DL.