Colon goes on Minor League DL

BOSTON -- In what the Red Sox are hoping is nothing more than a minor setback, right-hander Bartolo Colon will miss his next start at Triple-A Pawtucket with a right oblique injury.

Colon, who turned in an impressive outing -- five shutout innings, one hit -- for Pawtucket on Thursday, will come to Boston on Tuesday and be looked at by the Red Sox's medical staff.

"He's got some pain in his right oblique," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "We're going to bring him up here tomorrow to be examined in the morning, but I think it's more [a precaution]. With those types of things ... we don't want it to turn into something. We'll have more as he gets examined [Tuesday]."

Colon was placed on the Triple-A disabled list retroactive to April 4.

The Red Sox signed Colon in February with the idea that he can give them a big reward at a minimal financial risk.

The former American League Cy Young Award winner has been a pleasant surprise to the club, both in terms of his arm strength and work ethic.

Once Colon gets fully stretched out at Pawtucket, he is all but certain to join the Boston rotation. He threw 74 pitches in his last start, topping out at 96 mph on the McCoy Stadium radar gun.