Red Sox manager gives encouraging updates on Connor Wong, Kutter Crawford

The Red Sox might get their starting catcher back a lot sooner than originally expected Manager Alex Cora provided a number of injury updates ahead of Friday s contest and the most of thought-provoking was the revelation that catcher Connor Wong might be ready to return in two and a half weeks if not sooner I gave him kind of a timeline and he s like what That s too late So I m like ok you re feeling good huh Cora commented I think they re going to add stuff offensively in the upcoming days and hopefully he feels good He feels like defensively he s not going to have trouble he s going to be ok So if that happens then a couple of at bats go down there and do your thing and join us as soon as achievable Wong suffered a small fracture in his left pinkie finger on April when he was hit in the hand by a George Springer swing Typically fractures take approximately six weeks to heal but Cora previously mentioned Wong s doctors explained his injury represented a best-case scenario improving his prognosis Cora reported Wong is already hitting off a tee and taking part in defensive drills though he hasn t caught any bullpens or pitches from the pitching machine Cora substantiated he notified Wong he thought he could be activated in two and a half weeks which would be only five weeks out from the original injury and that Wong indicated he thinks it ll be sooner If he s feeling that way it s great Cora stated Cora also provided an encouraging update on right-hander Kutter Crawford right patellar soreness who threw an up-and-down bullpen session designed to simulate a two-inning outing Cora termed that a big step and indicated Crawford should soon throw a live bullpen before hopefully starting a rehab assignment Now it s just the ramp up and getting him there I don t know what the plan is for that or when it starts like I disclosed nowadays is a good day but we ll get there when we get there Cora revealed The the bulk essential thing is for him keep getting the repetitions and keep feeling better and hopefully he can get going soon Cora noted right-handers Brayan Bello right shoulder soreness and Liam Hendriks right elbow inflammation both came out of Wednesday s rehab outings well and should be activated soon Hendriks is expected to join the Red Sox bullpen over the weekend and Bello will rejoin the Red Sox starting rotation next week Right-hander Lucas Giolito left hamstring tightness will throw at least one more rehab outing We ll sit down and map it out Cora commented He ll join us sooner rather than later I m telling you that but he won t be the next one