Smith (elbow) completed a simulated inning Thursday and will embark on a rehab assignment as the next step in his recovery process, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
It seems like everything from the session went as planned (including a small bout of expected shoulder soreness), so the Red Sox seem ready to take the next step in getting Smith back into the big-league bullpen. No word has come forth as to when he'll head out on his assignment, but if it happens soon, he could return before the end of the month.