Danks, Morel on hold for now

Danks is scheduled to start once in a minor league rehabilitation assignment later this week after throwing a bullpen session Wednesday night and rookie left-hander Jose Quintana will take his spot in the rotation against the Blue Jays.

Morel, meanwhile, hasn't recovered fully from a lumbar back strain and will continue his rehab assignment at third base for Triple-A Charlotte, where he is batting .333 in six games.

"It's kind of back and forth," manager Robin Ventura said of Morel. "Every once in a while, he still feels something. So we're going to keep him down there until it's a clean bill of health."

Danks, who hasn't pitched in a game since May 19, welcomed the chance to pitch once in the minors as a final tuneup before rejoining his teammates.

"That's the main reason for getting out in a minor league game somewhere, just to go back in a game situation and not be thrown right in the middle of the fire," Danks said.

Danks wasn't sure if he would rejoin the Sox against the Dodgers on June 15-17 or against the Cubs the following series.

The Sox's decision to delay Danks' return shows their faith in Quintana, who has a 1.69 ERA and will be making his third major league start.

"First, I'm very excited that the team has given me another opportunity to start," Quintana said. "I feel like I'm ready, so I'm excited to go out there and do it."

Pitching draft: The Sox selected nine pitchers in their 14 picks on the second day of the amateur draft, led by Georgia Southern's Chris Beck.

The Sox choices reflect an emphasis on upside potential rather than how they fared in 2012. According to Baseball America, Beck was a potential first-round pick whose stock fell because of a rough start. He struck out 115 batters in 1032/3 innings.

Sixth-round pick Kyle Hansen, a 6-foot-8 pitcher from St. John's, has struck out 108 in 932/3 innings entering this weekend's NCAA Division I Super Regional against Arizona.