NEW YORK — Henry Owens is 23 and was signed to a $1.55 million bonus by the Red Sox in 2011, so he will get other chances to prove his worth. But it’s clear the organization is starting to some lose patience with the 6-foot-6-inch lefthander.

Owens was demoted to Triple A Pawtucket on Friday, less than a day after he walked six of the 16 batters he faced against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.

Veteran righthander Sean O’Sullivanwas selected from Pawtucket.

The move gave the Red Sox additional bullpen depth for the weekend. But manager John Farrell acknowledged that wasn’t the principal motivation.

“Primarily Henry needs to go back and look to command his fastball with more consistency,’’ he said. “He’s got an outstanding changeup to get him back into some counts and get him away from some damage. But the strike throwing is the priority here.’’

Owens made three starts and allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits and 13 walks over 12? innings. He struck out nine and allowed three home runs.

Of the 242 pitches Owens threw, only 128 were strikes. He also averaged only 87.9 miles per hour with his fastball.

“One thing that we can for sure rule out is heath. There’s no health issues at play here,’’ Farrell said. “When a pitcher’s delivery is not in synch, he’s not getting the most power out of it. With the strike throwing, there becomes a confidence factor.’’

Owens was lifted in the fourth inning on Thursday after giving up two runs and walking six. The Red Sox won the game, 7-3, thanks to six strong innings from their bullpen.

Owens was unable to win a rotation spot in spring training after Eduardo Rodriguez was injured. Then he lasted only three starts after getting a chance in April. Owens is 4-4 with a 4.66 ERA in 14 major league starts.

“As far as his opportunity, this is not to say he isn’t prepared. He’s doing what he can,’’ Farrell said. “I’m sure he’ll be back to us at some point.’’

Farrell said the team expected better of Owens.

“Based on what we saw last year, yes,’’ he said.

Owens was scheduled to start on Tuesday against Oakland. Farrell said O’Sullivan was a candidate for that spot.

Rodriguez remains scheduled to make another injury rehabilitation start for Pawtucket on Sunday.

Call-up waiting

O’Sullivan didn’t have the ringer on his cellphone on and it took Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles several tries on Thursday night to get through to him with the news he had been called up.

“I finally realized it was my manager and I needed to pick that up,’’ O’Sullivan said.

O’Sullivan, 28, was 2-2 with a 3.00 earned run average in five starts for Pawtucket. He is 11-23 with a 5.95 ERA in 66 major league games, 52 of them starts. Last season, O’Sullivan was 1-6 with a 6.08 ERA in 13 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies.

“When he was in camp he showed more arm strength than we anticipated. The strike throwing has been above average for him,’’ Farrell said. “A veteran guy who has pitched at this level for some extended outings. Felt like that dependability and durability was a factor in getting him here.’’

O’Sullivan signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox after a discussion with Brian Bannister, the team’s director of pitching analysis and development.

“I played with Brian on Kansas City and he told me how much he thought he could help me,’’ O’Sullivan said. “I wanted to get that information and see what could happen. I felt like I had been missing a piece. I keep getting [to the majors] but I can’t stay here.’’

Bannister encouraged O’Sullivan to pitch to his strengths and not necessarily to the weaknesses of hitters. They’ve discussed how best to sequence his pitches and what areas of the strike zone to focus on. O’Sullivan averaged 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings in Pawtucket as a result.

“I’ve had a lot more confidence,’’ O’Sullivan said.

Yankees make moves

The Yankees placed lefthander CC Sabathia on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin and purchased the contract of lefthanded reliever Phil Coke from Triple A Scranton.

Sabathia told the Yankees he felt discomfort during his start against Baltimore on Wednesday. He went seven shutout innings, his best performance of the season.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he expected Sabathia to miss at least three weeks. New York will shift Ivan Nova into the rotation.

Coke, 33, was with the Yankees from 2008-09 and has been with three teams since. He started this season in an independent league.

Kelly starts up

Joe Kelly pitched three innings for Pawtucket in his first injury rehab start. Facing Rochester, Kelly allowed one run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 52 pitches, 28 for strikes. Kelly, who is on the disabled list recovering from a shoulder impingement, is expected to make at least two more starts in the minors before returning to the Sox . . . Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fourth inning . . . To make room for O’Sullivan on the 40-man roster, Pablo Sandoval was moved to the 60-day disabled list. He is expected to miss the rest of the season after surgery on his left shoulder this week . . . Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury left the game after the first inning with a tight right hip and was taken for an MRI. He was injured rounding third base after a steal.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.