Price set to return Monday

Red Sox pitcher scheduled to start against Blue Jays in Toronto.

BOSTON -- David Price is on track to return from the injured list Monday afternoon.

The Red Sox left-hander is a candidate to start the four-game series opener with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Price threw a final bullpen session prior to Friday’s matchup with the Astros at Fenway Park and reported no immediate setbacks.

“David, if he reacts well to today, will start Monday,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

Price last worked against the White Sox on May 2, grinding his way through six innings on a miserable night weather-wise in Chicago. He’s thrown a pair of bullpen sessions this week and will slot into the Boston rotation after Chris Sale works the finale with Houston on Sunday afternoon. The Red Sox haven’t named a starter for Saturday’s middle game with the Astros.

Price covered 36 innings over his first six starts, pitching to a 3.75 earned-run average. He totaled 42 strikeouts against 10 walks.

Roster moves: Sandy Leon (paternity leave) was away from the club on Friday, returning to his Florida home. His wife, Liliana, is due to give birth to the couple’s second child in the upcoming days.

That forced a series of roster moves for Boston. Catcher Oscar Hernandez was summoned from Triple-A Pawtucket and added to the 40-man roster. Right-handed pitcher Chandler Shepherd was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

“We’ll see,” said Cora, when asked on a timeline for Leon’s return. “Nothing has happened yet. We’re waiting for the phone call.”

Rick Porcello was scheduled to make his Friday start while throwing to Christian Vazquez. The Red Sox won all five starts made by Porcello since Leon was recalled from the PawSox on April 16. Porcello’s OPS allowed of .636 working with Leon this season is microscopic compared to the 1.061 in two starts with Vazquez and 1.338 in one start with Blake Swihart.

Hernandez has served as the catcher in all but one of his 16 games played between Double-A Portland and the PawSox this season. Shepherd struggled to a 10.01 ERA in eight appearances for Pawtucket this season.

New rehab: Dustin Pedroia (left knee) began his latest rehab assignment Friday night with the PawSox.

Pedra started at second base and batted third. He was expected to play at least five innings and is scheduled to play all three games of Pawtucket’s series with Gwinnett at McCoy Stadium this weekend.

Brock Holt (right shoulder/right eye) served as the designated hitter and batted one spot ahead of Pedroia in the lineup. Holt will play second base, third base and possibly in a corner outfield spot before being activated off the injured list.

“He’s doing better as far as his throwing progression,” Cora said. “When he starts playing a position we’ll start talking about making decisions and all that stuff.”

Pedroia was pulled back from an assignment with the Sea Dogs, restarting his 20-day clock in the minors. Holt has managed just one game in each of his previous two assignments with the PawSox.

Catching the B's: Cora spent part of his off day on Thursday watching the Bruins clinch a place in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Boston dispatched Carolina in an impressive sweep, rolling its way through the Eastern Conference finals. The Bruins notched a 4-0 shutout for a seventh straight postseason victory and are in position to join the Red Sox and Patriots among the region’s current defending champions.

“Hopefully it happens,” Cora said. “Having three trophies in the same city at the same time? Wow. That’s cool.”

New England’s victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI has touched off a run unlike any the Boston area has ever seen. The Red Sox have captured four of the 12 titles taken home by the city since that February 2002 night in New Orleans. The Bruins are bidding for their second in that time frame after outlasting the Canucks in seven games in 2011.

“I think Bruce (Cassidy, the Bruins coach) has done an outstanding job staying in the moment,” Cora said. “You see the interviews and they didn’t get ahead of themselves. If they have to rest players, they rest players. They’re in a special situation right now.”