Felix Doubront on his situation: ‘this sucks’

Before mopup duty Monday night, Felix Doubront hadn’t pitched since July 7. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

TORONTO — Felix Doubront, the No. 3 starter to start the season, has become the forgotten man of the Red Sox bullpen, sentenced to the amorphous role of long reliever.

The 26-year-old lefthander is starting to wonder if he might be better off with another team.

“I’m doing my work and trying to stay sharp. My mind is positive but this sucks,” Doubront said Monday before the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays, 14-1.

“I just want to pitch. If it’s here or somewhere else, I just want to pitch. I need an opportunity if it’s another team or this team.”

Doubront pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the game, his first appearance since July 7. Since making his last start on June 20, Doubront has appeared in four of the 25 games the Sox have played.

“We have opportunities. I guess I’m just hoping for opportunities to get in games. It’s not happening right now,” Doubront said.

Doubront put himself in this position, going 2-4 with a 5.19 earned run average over 10 starts. He was on the disabled list from May 21 to June 20 with what the team said was a shoulder strain. Doubront made one start after returning then was sent to the bullpen.

Manager John Farrell said it’s a matter of circumstance.

“We’ve had starters work deep in games,” he said. “Unfortunately for some guys, they haven’t had a whole lot of opportunity. That time between appearances becomes greater.”

Because lefty Andrew Miller has been so successful as a set-up man, Doubront isn’t needed in late innings or high leverage situations.

“We’ve got to find spots to get him some work and keep him fresh,” Farrell said.

Doubront was 22-16 with a 4.59 ERA as a starter from 2012-13. He still believes he can succeed in that role.

“I’m a starter. I know I’m a starter. I need to show [Farrell] what I am capable of,” he said. “This is what’s happening right now. I have to suck it up and wait.’’

Turf timeMonday was the first of seven consecutive games the Red Sox will play on artificial turf.

Shane Victorino, who came off the disabled list Saturday, was out of the lineup. Farrell said Victorino would play four days out of every five but that could be adjusted because of the turf.

“He’s come out of the last few days feeling very good,” Farrell said. “We need to be cautious when we have to.”

Peavy next Jake Peavy, who remains with the Sox amidst trade rumors, starts Tuesday night. He made 14 starts since his only win this season, going 0-8 with a 5.21 ERA. But Peavy has been better of late, giving up six earned runs over 19 innings in his last three starts.

“He’s pitched much better than the record reflects. In his case, you kind of put that aside,” Farrell said. “He’s worked deep into games.”

Koji tinkeringCloser Koji Uehara is an old friend of Rangers ace Yu Darvish. The two played together for Japan in the Olympics and World Baseball Classic and with Texas in 2012.

During the All-Star Game last week, Uehara discussed slider grips with Darvish and is considering using the pitch. Uehara threw a slider often when he was a starter in Japan but has been primarily a fastball/splitter pitcher since moving to the bullpen in the majors.

Getting draftyThe Red Sox signed 31 of the 41 players they selected in the June amateur draft. For the first time in 25 years, the Sox signed every player picked in the first 20 rounds.

The team’s top overall pick, infielder Michael Chavis, was 2 of 31 with 12 strikeouts in his first nine games in the Gulf Coast League. Chavis was the 26th overall selection.

The top pick who returned to school was catcher Ian Rice, the 21st-round selection. Rice, who is hitting .279 for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League, will attend Houston.

Starting back upCatcher and first baseman Ryan Lavarnway played two games in the Gulf Coast League and on Monday had his rehabilitation assignment shifted to Double A Portland. Playing first base, he was 0 for 4 with an RBI. Lavarnway has been on the disabled list since May 30 with a broken bone in his left wrist that required surgery . . . The Red Sox considered activating third baseman Will Middlebrooks off the disabled list given his career success at Toronto (15 of 54 with five doubles, five home runs, and nine RBIs in 14 games) but weren’t willing to create a roster spot. Middlebrooks instead continued his rehab assignment and started at third base for Triple A Pawtucket. He was 1 for 4 . . . Third base coach Brian Butterfield was mourning the death of former University of Maine coach John Winkin, who passed away Saturday at the age of 94. Butterfield played one year for the Black Bears under Winkin in 1976 . . . The Jays designated righthander Sergio Santos for assignment and recalled lefthander Rob Rasmussen from Triple A. Rasmussen threw 2⅓ scoreless innings. Toronto obtained Santos from the White Sox before the 2012 season, believing he would become the closer. But he had only eight saves and a 4.83 ERA over parts of three seasons, in part because of a shoulder injury.