The Red Sox announced Sunday that Houck has been temporarily shut down with a sore flexor muscle, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

EDGE Analysis

Houck picked up the injury in his first outing for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, when he worked three innings in a loss to Buffalo. The Red Sox believe the injury is only a short-term concern for Houck, who would be the next man up for a spot in the big-league rotation if Boston loses one of its five starters.