BOSTON — Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is on track to return to the Red Sox next weekend in Baltimore, if not a day or two before.

Bradley suffered a sprained right knee April 8 in Detroit. He’s eligible to be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday. The plan now is for Bradley and Josh Rutledge (hamstring) to go through baserunning drills on Monday at Fenway Park and then join Triple-A Pawtucket for a rehab assignment on Tuesday.

Bradley might not need more than a rehab game or two to get his swing back in rhythm, which would give him a chance to return to the Red Sox either Thursday in Toronto or Friday in Baltimore.

Rutledge, out since late March, might need more at-bats than Bradley. Boston hopes Rutledge, a right-handed hitter, can complement Pablo Sandoval at third base. Sandoval is hitless against lefties this season.

David Price continues to take his rehabilitation one step at a time.

Price threw a 45-pitch bullpen session on Saturday morning, a session broken up to simulate the ups and downs of inning breaks. Whether he faces hitters in his next throwing session will depend on how his arm feels when he reports to Fenway Park on Sunday morning.

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What Price didn’t do Saturday was throw a breaking ball off the mound. He has thrown breaking balls on flat ground, he said, but he hasn’t thrown breaking balls from the mound yet.

“I didn’t want to push it too much,” he said, “it being the first time I’m throwing pitches and taking a break and getting back up and throwing more.”

Price will face hitters in a simulated setting at least a couple times before he goes out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

METS: Right-hander Noah Syndergaard’s exits from two recent starts because of finger issues aren’t cause for concern, Manager Terry Collins says.

Syndergaard left Friday’s game at Miami after six innings because of two bleeding fingernails, and he left his first start of the season after six scoreless innings because of a blister.

“If it was the same thing, we’d have to look at it,” Collins said. “But since it’s two different things, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I think he’ll be OK.”

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Despite the issues with his fingers, Syndergaard is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts, with 20 strikeouts in 19 innings.

“He’s one of the top pitchers in baseball right now,” Collins said. “I give him a lot of credit. He’s a tireless worker. He keeps himself in tremendous shape. He asks a lot of questions. He tries to refine pitches. And he commands his stuff.”

Syndergaard has yet to walk a batter.

“He’s not afraid to throw strikes,” Collins said. “If you’re afraid to get hit sometimes when you get in certain counts, you walk guys. He’s not afraid.”

REDS: Left-hander Brandon Finnegan left after only one inning Saturday against the Brewers because of a strained muscle in the back of his left side.

Finnegan walked three, threw a wild pitch and allowed a pair of runs.

PIRATES: Outfielder Gregory Polanco was scratched from the lineup against the Chicago Cubs because of a groin injury.


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