BOSTON -- When the Boston Red Sox returned home from a five-game road trip Wednesday, injured reliever Carson Smith was there to greet them, a sign of a soon-to-be-shifting landscape in the Boston bullpen.

Smith was sidelined in spring training with a forearm strain, and will throw a bullpen session at Fenway Park on Thursday. He then is expected to see action in back-to-back games at Double-A Portland on Friday and Saturday. If all goes well, the righty could be activated in time for the beginning of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

“We’ll get through these next two appearances and kind of reevaluate and go from there,” manager John Farrell said Wednesday afternoon at Fenway.

A healthy Smith would be a welcome addition to a bullpen that entered Wednesday’s meeting with Atlanta leading the American League in innings pitched (73). The 26-year-old, who had a 2.31 ERA in 70 innings pitching out of the Seattle bullpen last year, told reporters he is confident he can make an instant impact upon his return.

When that impact comes, Boston may be able to finally see the complete power-armed bullpen it envisioned when acquiring Smith and closer Craig Kimbrel this offseason. Yet, even without Smith, the relievers are second in the AL with 10.48 strikeouts per nine innings, part of a staff that that has produced the most K’s through the first 20 games (210) of any team since 1900.

“The greatest improvement has been in our bullpen,” Sox manager John Farrell said when asked about his pitchers’ strikeout capabilities. “Anytime later in the game you can put less balls in play, the better. We’re starting to really build a power bullpen that hasn’t been the case the last couple of years.”

Adding Smith will only enhance that reputation.

“We’re looking forward to his return because he is a late-inning guy who has closing capability, so the more power-type, strikeout arms we can add, we’re hoping to distribute the workload in those high-leverage situations,” Farrell said.

The Sox currently carry 13 pitchers, a scenario made necessary because of the heavy workload that Farrell hopes to distribute more. While Smith will add a fresh arm to that mix, it’s incumbent on others to help the team put together a more balanced roster that has more than just three bench players at Farrell’s disposal.

“It’s pretty reliant on our rotation, the more consistent innings we can get, then it gives us the opportunity to do that,” he said. “We would hope to be able to do that in the near future.”

In other injury news, right-hander Joe Kelly is throwing at 120 feet and will do so again “in the coming days,” according to Farrell. There remains no timetable for Kelly, who is out with a right shoulder impingement.

Finally, third baseman Pablo Sandoval also was in the Red Sox clubhouse Wednesday. He awaits a checkup with Dr. James Andrews on Monday and is doing little more than icing his sore left shoulder.