TORONTO — Drew Pomeranz did not give the Red Sox much choice but to demote him to the bullpen, and on Thursday that is what they did.

The lefthander will be available in relief starting with Friday’s game at Baltimore. Brian Johnson will stay in the rotation and start on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Manager Alex Cora gave Pomeranz the news on Thursday before the Sox played the Toronto Blue Jays.

“He understands,’’ Cora said. “Like I told him, he’s still a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish either in the bullpen or back in the rotation. We’ll see. We need this guy to be good and he knows it. He’s working hard to do that.’’

Pomeranz is 1-5 with a 6.31 earned run average and 1.81 WHIP in 11 starts. Opponents have hit .299 against Pomeranz with a .925 OPS. He pitched fewer than five innings in six of his starts.

Pomeranz opened the season on the disabled list recovering from a forearm strain. He returned to the DL on June 2 with what was said to be biceps tendinitis and was out seven weeks.

The Sox hoped the time off would help, but Pomeranz has been erratic in three starts since returning, walking 11 and hitting two batters in 14⅓ innings.

After nearly every start this season, Pomeranz has said his mechanics haven’t felt right. His velocity has dropped, too.

Outside of one appearance with the Sox in 2016, Pomeranz has not pitched in relief since 2015 when he was with Oakland. He had a 2.61 ERA in 44 relief appearances that season and held hitters to a .587 OPS.

Pomeranz, 29, will be a free agent after the season. After going 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA last season, his value has plummeted.

Sale ready to go

Chris Sale threw 50 pitches in the bullpen and is ready to come off the disabled list and start Sunday’s game in Baltimore. He has not pitched since July 27 because of shoulder inflammation.

“Doing a lot of work the last week or so,’’ Sale said.

Sale threw what amounted to two simulated innings, more than would usually be the case for a pre-start bullpen session. Teammates David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez were on hand to watch.

“They were very impressed; I was impressed,’’ Cora said.

Sale is 11-4 with a 2.04 ERA in 22 starts. Even with the time off, he still led the American League with 207 strikeouts through games of Wednesday.

What will be a 15-day break could prove beneficial for Sale in September and into the postseason.

“Hopefully,’’ Cora said. “The thing is that with the schedule coming up, he’s going to get probably more rest than usual.’’

Said Sale: “That’s been the only positive side to this for me. On my end, anyways. Catch my breath; get a breather. For sure you don’t want it to be like this.’’

The tentative schedule the Sox have mapped out has Sale pitching with at least one extra day of rest for all but one his remaining starts.

Name games

The second annual Players Weekend will be Aug. 24-26. The players will be allowed to have nicknames on the back of their uniforms and use any color of bats, spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, and other equipment.

The teams also will wear specially designed uniforms, caps, and socks.

Most of the nicknames the Red Sox players are using are some derivation of their first or last names. But there are a few notable exceptions.

Rafael Devers is going with “Carita,’’ the Spanish term for baby face. Ian Kinsler picked “Bootsie’’ and Sandy Leon will pay tribute to his son with “Noah’’ on his jersey.

Steve Pearce selected “Late Lightning’’ and Price went with “Slim Dunkin.’’

The most original is “The Conductor’’ for Sale. Asked the meaning, Sale laughed and said to check with Dustin Pedroia.

“What does a conductor do? Punches tickets,’’ Pedroia told MLB.com via a text message.

In Pedroia-speak, getting your ticket punched is striking out.

To be determinedThe Sox have not named a starter for the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Baltimore. One option will be to use the bullpen and if that’s the decision, Pomeranz could actually get the start. The alternative would be to promote a starter from Triple A Pawtucket. The teams will get an extra player for the two games. Cora would prefer to make that a position player to avoid using one of the regulars in both games . . . Toronto called up lefthander Tom Pannone from Triple A Buffalo. He is a native of Cranston, R.I., who played at Bishop Hendricken High.

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