Alex Cora gives Boston Red Sox injury updates on Tanner Houck, others

NEW YORK — Injured Red Sox starter Tanner Houck still has not thrown off a mound more than three weeks after landing on the IL.

The 28-year-old righty was placed on the 15-day injured list May 14 with a right flexor pronator strain.

“Playing catch but not on the mound yet,” manager Alex Cora said Saturday before Boston’s game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Houck has struggled this season with an 8.04 ERA (43 ⅔ innings, 39 earned runs) in nine starts.

Is his progression going slower than initially expected?

“Not really,” Cora said. “When you go on the IL, you never know.

“I’m not saying this is the case but when they (trainers) start working on you, they feel like it’s more time than in the beginning or less time,” Cora said. “So I leave it up to them to see where we’re at but we just gotta be patient.”

Other Red Sox injury updates:

~ Setup man Justin Slaten, who the Red Sox placed on the 15-day injured list June 1 with right shoulder inflammation, has not begun throwing again.

~ Third baseman Alex Bregman (right quad strain) “feels good” after beginning his running progression Thursday, Cora said. “The progression is going well. Let’s see how he feels tomorrow and then we’ll go from there. Obviously we’re still far away from starting the baseball progression,” Cora said.

~ Starter Kutter Crawford (wrist pain) was supposed to throw a bullpen session this weekend. But Cora said it’s now going “to be the end of the (this coming) week.”