Red Sox's Tanner Houck: Back from assignment, still inactive

The Red Sox returned Houck (elbow) from his rehab assignment Friday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Although Houck's 30-day rehab window is now closed, the fact that Boston has yet to activate him indicates he isn't quite ready to return. The 29-year-old righty posted a 5.74 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 15.2 innings during his five-start assignment, though he gave up only one run in his final two outings (9.1 IP). He also owns a hefty 8.04 ERA through 43.2 frames in the majors this year, so there's no guarantee he'll have a place in the Sox's rotation whenever he is activated.