Houck has completed several bullpen sessions since hitting the injured list back in mid-May with a forearm flexor strain and will progress to his first rehab outing later this week. The 28-year-old righty got off to a disastrous start this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he got a couple rehab starts to attempt to iron things out and get back on track.

An up and down bullpen is one in which the pitcher begins to simulate a game setting by throwing a simulated inning and then resting as if their team was hitting before returning to the mound. It will help the Red Sox to determine how Houck’s forearm is responding to the stop and start of pitching in an MLB game. If this goes well, Houck could move on to live bullpens against hitters. He’s still a ways away and it’s unclear what kind of role he’ll return to.

Houck resumed throwing in late May and is likely several weeks away from making a minor league rehab start. He hit the injured list back in early May with a flexor strain and remains without an official return timetable. He’s a complete non-factor for fantasy purposes at the moment.

Houck was sent to the injured list earlier this month with a flexor strain and is likely at least a couple weeks away from a potential return to Boston’s rotation.