Blanton (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

While the length of his rehab assignment hasn't been specified yet, it appears Blanton is on the cusp of a return to the big-league bullpen. The 36-year-old struggled to a 9.49 ERA across 12.1 innings before landing on the DL, but the hope is that a healthy Blanton will be able to regain his form that saw him post sub-3.00 ERAs each of the previous two seasons. A more concrete timetable for his return should become available as he works through his rehab assignment.