BOSTON -- With Clay Buchholz' trip to the disabled list sending the Red Sox rotation further into a state of flux, it is a good time for pitching coach Bob McClure to return.

McClure had been away from the team for several days to attend to a family matter. He enters a messy situation that has the coaching staff struggling to lay out the immediate future.

“(Assistant pitching coach Randy Niemann) and I talked pretty extensively the last few days about that to try to figure out, you know, we have Franklin and a West Coast trip and now Clay and (Aaron) Cook and we also have Josh (Beckett) coming back,” Valentine said. “It’s a work in progress, let’s say. We’ll get Bob in that loop and see if he has any ideas.”

An exact date for Beckett’s return remains up in the air. He is eligible to come off the disabled list later this week, but a few hurdles must be cleared first.

“We want to make sure he’s right,” Valentine said. “He’ll have to throw off the mound and feel really good. We’ll schedule another bullpen that will then be followed by a start. Hopefully it coincides with when his 15 days are up. We won’t rush it if in fact he needs another day or two.”

The Sox are in the midst of a stretch in which they play 16 games in 16 days, including seven on the West Coast. There is a day off on July 5 but then four games in three days against the New York Yankees, which can be a taxing situation for any pitching staff.

Then comes what will be a much-needed All-Star break.