Red Sox Notebook: Brian Johnson on minors DL.

Red Sox Notebook: Brian Johnson on minors DL

Major setback for left-hander

NEW YORK — Brian Johnson’s incredible comeback to the Fenway Park mound is in delay.

After taking a line drive to the face and nearly losing his eyesight during his first appearance there during the Futures at Fenway game in 2012 while pitching for Single-A Lowell, Johnson was expected to return to the ballpark as a major leaguer for the Red Sox at some point this year. But when he exited a start for Triple-A Pawtucket early Sunday, having thrown just 60 pitches in four innings, Johnson was feeling discomfort in his pitching elbow.

The left-hander was placed on the minor league disabled list and shut down until more information is learned.

“He came out of his last start with some elbow irritation,” Sox manager John Farrell said prior to last night’s 13-3 loss to the New York Yankees. “It’s in the ulnar nerve area. I don’t know how long of a shutdown he’ll go through.”

When the ulnar collateral ligament is involved, teams tend to take the cautious approach. Damaged ligaments often require Tommy John surgery to repair, though an extended period of rest could also do the trick.

Johnson, a first-round pick in 2012 who has a career 2.32 ERA in the minors, first started feeling sore in May while with Pawtucket, he told the Herald recently. He threw 98 pitches May 24, then reported feeling soreness in his pitching arm. After talking to his coaches, Johnson was told he would be limited in his next start, when he threw six perfect innings but was pulled after just 74 pitches.

An every-fifth-day schedule was maintained in Pawtucket, and soon after making his July 6 start for the PawSox, Johnson was called up to the Red Sox, where he spent more than two weeks awaiting his first major league outing, which came on July 21 in Houston. He allowed four runs in 41⁄3 innings against the Astros, then was sent back to Pawtucket the next day when the Sox were in need of bullpen help. In his next start in Triple A, Johnson threw 100 pitches for the first time this season.

The following start is when he felt discomfort.

Ins and outs

The Red Sox are admittedly out of contention, already looking toward 2016, and yet two players who could help them in the future, outfielder Rusney Castillo and corner infielder Travis Shaw, were both held out of the lineup for the series opener.

Why? The Sox are still hoping to trade first baseman Mike Napoli (2-for-4, two doubles, run) and outfielder Alejandro De Aza (1-for-2, run) before the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline. Napoli (owed a prorated portion of his $16 million salary) is expected to pass through waivers and could be traded easily, though De Aza ($5 million) could conceivably have enough value to be worth claiming to a team with financial flexibility.

Expect Castillo, who hit for De Aza in the seventh inning and went 2-for-2 while finishing the game in right field, to be a regular in the lineup soon. Shaw is expected to play tonight.

“Rusney is going to get regular at-bats,” Farrell said. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to be everyday at-bats but we’re still in a situation that when I look at it, there might be two players that right now are going to be in the mix as well, and that’s Nap and De Aza, unless something changes to our roster.

“So just trying to balance their situations as well as trying to gather as much information on our young players, that’s one of the main objectives (general manager Ben Cherington) and I have discussed at length.”

The return of center fielder Mookie Betts could complicate that scenario some. Betts, on the seven-day concussion list, has reported feeling better of late and is expected to be with the team when it arrives in Detroit on Friday.

“He had a good day Sunday, another good day (Monday),” Farrell said. . . .

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia (hamstring) is still going through daily treatment and should ramp up physical activity this weekend.

Barnes’ changeup

Pitcher Matt Barnes has had his role changed again.

The right-hander, a first-round draft pick in 2011, was a starter throughout his minor league career. When he was called up to the Red Sox late last season, he pitched out of the bullpen. Barnes began spring training this year as a starter, made a late change to a reliever, was sent down to Triple A as a starter and called up to the majors as a reliever. Now back in Pawtucket, he will start a game today.

With Rick Porcello (triceps) and Clay Buchholz (elbow) on the major league disabled list and Johnson on the minor league DL, the Sox are in need of starting depth.

Another pitcher who flip-flopped roles until he was supposed to work exclusively out of the bullpen this year, Brandon Workman, was lost to Tommy John surgery. . . .

Reliever Ryan Cook, picked up at the non-waivers trade deadline from the Oakland A’s, was optioned to Triple A to make room for Henry Owens to start the series opener.