Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that Slaten (oblique) played catch Friday and Saturday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
Slaten landed on the 15-day injured list April 8 due to a right oblique strain. He's progressed enough in his recovery to start playing catch and will likely need some turns on a rehab assignment before being cleared to return to major-league action. Slaten appeared in four regular-season games prior to his IL stint, recording two holds while allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 3.1 innings.