Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz has been activated off the disabled list this afternoon and might be available to pitch an inning or two tonight should he be needed.
Buchholz hasn't thrown a pitch in a Major League game since June 16th when he picked up a win against Tampa Bay. He's been sidelined with a stress fracture in his back, but has been close to a return for the past several weeks. During a stint with an instructional league team last week, Buchholz threw 18 pitches and a pair of simulated games and feels that he could throw between 30 and 40 pitches tonight.
The decision to activate Buchholz was motivated by the the teams need to have as many potential arms as possible available as it attempts to claim the final American League playoff spot. The Sox face a must-win game tonight in Baltimore to at least guarantee themselves a one-game playoff tomorrow afternoon against Tampa Bay.