It has now been two weeks since Mookie Betts last played for the Red Sox because of an abdominal strain on his left side. An injury that was said to be day to day when it first happened is now week to week.
But Saturday provided some hopeful signs that Betts may not sit out another week.
Betts took batting practice on the field before the Red Sox beat the White Sox, 4-2, and swung at pitches more aggressively than previous sessions.
“That was actually better. He felt better about himself,’’ manager Alex Cora said. “See how, obviously, he comes out of it. If everything goes well he’ll do it again [Sunday] and we’ll go from there.
“It seems like now it’s like game momentum . . . there was a lot of energy. He was able to drive the ball. No hesitation.’’
Once Betts is cleared to play, he will go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment. He has been out too long to return to the majors without seeing live pitching first.
If Betts is able to play in the minors at some point this week, it’s reasonable to think he could join the team on the coming road trip.
The news is less encouraging for Dustin Pedroia, who still has inflammation in his left knee and is slowly returning to baseball activities.
“I don’t know how much he can do right now,’’ Cora said.
Eight ball
The Red Sox have been carrying eight relief pitchers since June 2 and it’s a setup Cora is comfortable with. He values the versatility of having Brian Johnson and Justin Haley available in long relief.
Steven Wright has made only one start since replacing Drew Pomeranz in the rotation and Cora wants some protection behind him. Wright is still getting treatment on his left knee after having surgery last season.
“Although we know he can go deep into the game, at the same time we never know because of what he’s coming from,’’ the manager said. “It feels safer right now with all those pitchers.’’
The extra pitcher also allows the Sox to use righthander Hector Velazquez in higher leverage situations late in games.
Velazquez has a 1.99 earned run average and righthanded hitters have a .644 OPS against him. The Sox are open to giving him more responsibility.
“We can tag-team him with [Heath] Hembree,’’ Cora said.
Birthday boys
Joe Kelly turned 30 on Saturday and Brock Holt hits that milestone on Monday. Their respective wives, Ashley and Lakyn, commissioned quite a cake for the occasion.
The three-tiered masterpiece had a big No. 30 on top with the Red Sox logo underneath held up by baseballs. One side of the cake had references to Kelly and the other side to Holt. There also were photos of their sons and dogs.
The Holt references included an outline of the state of Texas, a cowboy boot, horse shoes, a fish on a hook, a guitar, and the television show “Scandal.’’
For Kelly, there was the famed Hollywood sign, a skateboard, the Vans logo, a video game controller, and an In-N-Out burger with fries.
Rodon in, Beck out
Chicago activated Carlos Rodon from the 60-day disabled list to make the start on Saturday. Righthanded reliever Chris Beck was designated for assignment. He allowed four runs, two earned, over five innings in his first start since Sept. 2. The lefthander had shoulder surgery three weeks later.
Chicago also made a Triple A roster move with the release of lefty reliever Robbie Ross Jr.
Ross was a helpful reliever with the Red Sox from 2015-16 but reported to spring training in poor condition last season and appeared in only eight games when not on the disabled list.
Ross settled for a minor league deal in free agency and with Triple A Charlotte he walked 17 and allowed 12 hits over 10⅔ innings.
Still available
Hanley Ramirez was designated for assignment on May 25 and released on June 1. He is a free agent and could be signed for the prorated major league minimum, which at this point would be approximately $325,000. But after more than a week of free agency, Ramirez remains unsigned . . . Eduardo Nunez drew a walk in the fifth inning. It was his first since April 18, breaking a streak of 170 plate appearances . . . Eight of the last nine games at Fenway Park have taken less than three hours . . . The Red Sox are 17-18 when their opponent scores first. They were 31-49 last season . . . Red Sox relievers have allowed one run over 17 innings in the last five games . . . Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless inning for Triple A Pawtucket on Friday night and threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes. Thornburg is scheduled to pitch again for the PawSox on Sunday afternoon against Indianapolis at McCoy Stadium. The righthanded reliever is two games into what is his second rehab assignment following shoulder surgery . . . Righthander Josh Smith, who was recently signed to a minor league deal after being released by Seattle, started for Pawtucket on Saturday. On Sunday, the team will start lefthander Josh Smith. They are not related.
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
