Blake Swihart caught a game Wednesday for the first time since going on the disabled list in early July.

Swihart, who’s been on the disabled list for Triple-A Pawtucket with left ankle inflammation, has been rehabbing with the Rookie Gulf Coast League Red Sox.

He served as designated hitter in his first three games in the Gulf Coast League, then played first base earlier this week before catching for the first time Wednesday.

Swihart was 0 for 3 at the plate and caught just five innings as the Red Sox look to ease him back into partial catching duties.

In six Gulf Coast League games, Swihart is 3 for 22.

Red Sox Manager John Farrell said Wednesday that the club is trying to get Swihart regular at-bats in rehab.

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“While he’s working back from the ankle, we’re going to take a look at him at multiple positions, but it’s a matter of getting as many at-bats as possible,” Farrell said.

As noted a few weeks ago, Swihart likely will play winter ball to make up for lost time on the disabled list this season.

Swihart landed on the DL with ankle inflammation related to surgery he had during the 2016 season. The inflammation resulted from too much playing time crouching in the catching position.

“The stress of catching is not allowing him to catch as a regular, everyday catcher,” Farrell said a few weeks ago. “We’re going to begin moving him around the infield. He’s going to take ground balls at first and take some at third. He’ll still catch some. But the ankle is a limiting factor right now as far as how many games consecutively he would catch.”

As for September, the Red Sox haven’t ruled out adding Swihart as a late-season call up, but Farrell said it will depend on how much progress he’s made.

For almost three innings Wednesday night, Rick Porcello was a strike-thrower and only a strike-thrower.

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He didn’t throw a ball.

Starting with the final two pitches of the third inning until the first pitch of the sixth in an 8-2 win against the Tampa Bay Rays, Porcello threw 19 consecutive strikes.

The fifth inning lasted nine pitches – all strikes. Porcello struck out Trevor Plouffe, Wilson Ramos and Mallex Smith for a rare immaculate inning.

“I didn’t even know,” Porcello said. “It’s hard to keep track if you don’t throw a ball or anything like that. I didn’t realize it until Blaine Boyer came up and said, ‘I got that ball for ya.’ I said, ‘What ball are you talking about?’ He said, ‘The immaculate inning.’ That was pretty cool. It’s hard to do. So it’s a nice little moment.”

It was the fourth immaculate inning in Red Sox history and second this year.

Craig Kimbrel had one earlier this year, Clay Buchholz threw one in 2012 and Pedro Martinez had the organization’s first such inning in 2002.

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“Maybe sometimes you don’t see it too much from a starter,” Farrell said. “In Craig’s case, a power reliever comes in and you’re fresh and you’re powerful with some swing and miss, but I think that speaks to the command Rick had early on. … Just a good assortment of pitches, good command up through that point.”

Porcello threw six-plus innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said Thursday there’s “a really good possibility” that rookie left-hander Jordan Montgomery will be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Sunday night against the Red Sox in place of left-hander CC Sabathia.

Sabathia left Tuesday’s loss at Toronto after three innings because of soreness in his arthritic right knee. A scan Wednesday showed no new damage, but Girardi said his inclination was Sabathia wouldn’t be able to face Boston. The 17-year veteran is 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 19 starts.


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