Archer (forearm) is scheduled to cover around three innings or 45 pitches in his rehab start Thursday at Triple-A Durham, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Archer will be making his third rehab appearance overall and his second straight at Durham after he tossed 1.2 innings and gave up two runs in his first outing for the affiliate July 17. The Rays will likely want to have Archer get stretched out to around 70 or 80 pitches in the minors before bringing him back from the 60-day injured list, so he'll presumably require at least one or two more rehab outings after Thursday.

Archer (forearm) allowed two earned runs on three hits over 1.2 innings in Triple-A Durham's win over Jacksonville on Saturday. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Archer threw 26 of 39 pitches for strikes, and although he did get tagged for a pair of runs, there were encouraging signs. The team's official site reports manager Kevin Cash was informed the right-hander displayed good velocity on his fastball and also flashed "the Chris Archer slider" during his time on the hill. Archer is likely to add an inning to his workload each time he takes the mound during his rehab assignment, with his next appearance for the Bulls likely to come in the later part of the week.

Archer (forearm) will make another rehab appearance Sunday for Triple-A Durham, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

EDGE Analysis

Archer made just two big-league appearances this season before being shut down in mid-April with a forearm injury. He made one brief rehab appearance for the Rays' complex league team, tossing 1.1 innings, and he'll now be set for a presumably longer outing at a much higher level. Given the length of his absence, he could need multiple more rehab starts before he's deemed ready to go, though the Rays could also have him work in shorter stints at the big-league level while he finishes stretching out.

Archer (forearm) fired 1.1 scoreless innings for the FCL Rays on Monday against the FCL Red Sox, allowing a hit and a walk while recording a strikeout.

EDGE Analysis

The hard-throwing right-hander got his first taste of game action since April 10 and generated reasonably favorable results without any physical setbacks. This could well have been Archer's only rehab outing at the FCL level, as the team's official site had previously reported the veteran would very likely move on to Triple-A Durham after easing into the process with the Florida Complex League affiliate.

Archer (forearm) is scheduled to make his first rehab start Monday with the Rays' Florida Complex League affiliate, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

EDGE Analysis

Archer will be making his first appearance at any level since April 10 after a right forearm injury has kept him on the shelf for the past three months. Due to the length of his shutdown, Archer will require multiple rehab starts before the Rays activate him from the 60-day injured list. If all goes well in Monday's outing, Archer could shift his rehab to Triple-A Durham next weekend.

Archer (forearm) is expected to throw one more live batting practice session before beginning a rehab assignment, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran right-hander has been sidelined by the forearm injury since making his second start of the season April 10, but he appears to be nearing the final stages of his recovery. Archer will need to make multiple rehab starts to get back up to speed given the length of his layoff.

Archer (forearm) threw a one-inning simulated game Friday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

EDGE Analysis

Friday's throwing session marked the first time that Archer had faced live hitters since April 10, and he's expected to increase his workload by throwing two innings in the coming days. The right-hander hasn't faced any setbacks recently, and he could begin a rehab assignment in the near future if he continues to progress well.

Archer (forearm) will throw to hitters on Friday, the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander has been scheduled to throw to hitters at some point this week, and this report pins down the day. Manager Kevin Cash confirmed Tuesday that Archer has not suffered any setbacks, attributing the fact the pitcher didn't throw earlier into the week to "a little bit of a schedule change."

Archer (forearm) could face live hitters early this coming week, the team's official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander has been consistently throwing side sessions without setbacks, teeing up the next step of facing live hitters for the first time since April 10. If Archer tolerates that process well, he'll likely proceed to a rehab assignment shortly thereafter.

Archer (forearm) threw 10 pitches off a mound Saturday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Recovery from thoracic outlet surgery was supposed to be the primary concern for Archer this season, but he wound up making just two appearances before being shut down with an entirely separate issue to his forearm. He's making progress again after a brief setback in late May and is expected to advance to live batting practice in late June or early July. That seemingly means he won't return to the active roster before the All-Star break, however.