All-Star righthander Steven Wright will miss his start against the Yankees on Thursday because of inflammation in his shoulder, the result of a pinch-running mishap on Sunday.

Wright ran for DavidOrtiz in the sixth inning against the Dodgers and dove back to second base when Los Angeles pitcher Joe Blanton faked a pickoff throw.

“Jarred his pitching shoulder and there’s some inflammation. No structural damage but inflammation in the right shoulder,’’ manager John Farrell said Wednesday.

Wright had an MRI on Tuesday that came back negative. Farrell said Wright is not a candidate for the disabled list “at this point.’’

Wright said the exam showed no damage to his rotator cuff or labrum. He tried throwing on Tuesday and decided to stop because of the discomfort, then went for the MRI.

“Hopefully in a couple of days I’ll be able to start throwing,’’ said Wright, who felt some improvement on Wednesday.

Eduardo Rodriguez will face the Yankees on Thursday. David Price will pitch Friday and Clay Buchholz returns to the rotation on Saturday.

Wright is 13-5 with a 3.01 earned run average in 22 starts and has been one of the most valuable players on the roster. His loss for more than a game or two would be significant.

“We’re hopeful in the next couple of days he’ll respond favorably to treatment,’’ Farrell said.

Ortiz pinch hit on Sunday and drew a walk. When he advanced to second with the Red Sox down by a run, pinch running for him was the expected move. Rather than waste a position player, Farrell used Wright.

That is a common move in National League parks. But Farrell was uneasy nonetheless.

“You always are,’’ he said. “The fact we’re in a National League game, you’re looking to do what’s right by the game situation. Trying to get David off his feet for precaution of injury there and yet it shows up in another way.’’

Farrell said he selected Wright to run based on watching him hit on Friday.

“The way he swung the bat . . . was more of an indication to me of, ‘Here’s a guy that’s just a baseball player.’ Rick Porcello has flown back early and was not available to us,’’ the manager said. “Looking at a starter that’s not going to be used [to pitch] inside that game. He was the guy.’’

Wright knew when he dove back that something was wrong.

“Right after it happened, it felt weird,’’ he said. “When we got back, I said something. . . . It just felt different.’’

Through Tuesday, pitchers had been used as pinch runners 25 times this season.

“It’s a little surprising but I was prepared,’’ Wright said. “I think every pitcher is prepared that that was something that could come up.’’

Wright said he had not run the bases since 2004, his freshman year in college.

Buchholz last made a start on July 2. He has not thrown more than 35 pitches in a relief appearance since. He needed only three pitches to get a double-play ball Wednesday night when he came on for Drew Pomeranz in the sixth inning. It’s uncertain how deep he will be able to go against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“That’s going to be dependent upon the stress inside the outing,’’ Farrell said. “Would feel comfortable he’s in the that 65-75 pitch range.’’

Buchholz is 2-8 with a 6.31 ERA in 13 starts.

Rodriguez is 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees. He faced them in New York on July 16 and allowed one run over seven innings.

Young gets going

Chris Young, on the disabled list since June 24 with a strained right hamstring, starts a rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Pawtucket on Thursday afternoon at McCoy Stadium against Durham.

He will be the DH and get three or four at-bats. Young will then play the outfield on Saturday.

Because Young has been out so long, he will get at least 20-25 at-bats before the Sox consider activating him.

“That’s just kind of a marker. That doesn’t mean he’ll be back at that day.’’

Young was hitting .277 with an .846 OPS at the time of his injury.

Surgery for Swihart

When the options were laid out for Blake Swihart, it was an easy decision to have surgery on his left ankle.

The 24-year-old catcher and outfielder decided it was best to start getting ready for 2017 instead of continuing what had been a frustrating experience with rehab since his injury on June 4.

“It’s one of those injuries that wasn’t going to go away. As much as I wanted to come back and play this season, it wasn’t going to happen,’’ he said.

The surgery, by Dr. Robert Anderson, will be on Monday in Charlotte, N.C. Swihart needs the sheath covering his peroneal tendon repaired.

“Everything points to him being full-go in spring training,’’ Farrell said.

Swihart opened the season as the starting catcher.

But that lasted only six games as the Red Sox turned to Christian Vazquez.

Swihart was demoted to Pawtucket and returned to the majors as a left fielder on May 20.

He played only 13 games before getting injured trying to make a catch while colliding with the fence along the foul line in left field at Fenway Park.

Swihart said his goal is to return as a catcher in 2017.

“That’s my position,’’ he said. “I just want to come back and help this team again. There’s such a bright future here.’’

Kimbrel not KO’d

Craig Kimbrel, who walked a career-high four batters on Tuesday, did not report any soreness in his surgically repaired left knee on Wednesday. He said after the game that his knee was giving him trouble. In his previous appearance, on Aug. 4 in Seattle, Kimbrel struck out three of the four batters he faced . . . Mookie Betts extended his hit streak to 11 games with a double in the fifth inning . . . Farrell said it was likely infielder Josh Rutledge would need surgery to correct patellar tendinitis in his left knee . . . The Yankees added righthander Blake Parker and optioned righthander Luis Severino, who allowed five runs in 4⅓ innings on Tuesday.

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