Bart coming back?

Colon throws in a bullpen session yesterday afternoon

 Whenever the subject of pitching riches is raised around Fenway, there is always a twinge of regret.

Those who remember the Red Sox trading starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati in spring training of 2006 for Wily Mo Peña recall the explanation that Boston had plenty of pitching and could afford to give up a potential starter for a powerful right-handed bat who could play right field on a regular basis. At the time, the deal seemed to make sense.  

But then the injuries hit. The Sox ended up using eight starters to get through the season and missed the playoffs.

This spring, with Curt Schilling out due to a bad right shoulder and with six big league starters already in camp, the team signed free agent Bartolo Colon after seeing him in the Caribbean World Series in February. The 2005 American League Cy Young winner rehabbed his sore right elbow and debuted on May 21, beating Kansas City and winning his first three decisions, starting 4-1.

“He showed what he can do when he started for us,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said yesterday. “Nobody knows. One day you think you’re sitting pretty with pitching, then three days later, you look up and you have no pitching. That’s the way the whole the league goes. So, if it seems like you have an abundance of pitching and it’s a problem, good. We’ll deal with it.”

As the trade deadline approaches on Thursday, Colon is again on the road back from injury, this time lower back strain suffered on June 16 in Philadelphia. The right-hander threw a bullpen session yesterday at Fenway, and could start in a minor league game soon.

“I think we’ve been trying to go at a pace where we don’t have setbacks,” Francona said of Colon. “Unfortunately, a couple of times this year, we’ve started him up and there have been (arm issues). We don’t want a flare up because he’s favoring his side. We’ve tried to do it right.”

And a healthy Colon may be just the insurance policy the Red Sox need after the trade deadline passes on Thursday.