NEW YORK -- Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations David Dombrowski said Friday that the decision to pick up Clay Buchholz's option for 2016 will depend solely on whether the team’s medical staff declares him healthy.

Buchholz, who is on the 60-day disabled list with a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow, has not pitched since July 10. While he has been cleared to begin throwing next week, Dombrowski said there is not enough time for him to pitch in another game this season. He also ruled out having the 31-year-old right-hander throwing in the Florida Instructional League, which runs through mid-October.

“It’s impossible for me to evaluate [Buchholz] personally because I’m not going to see him pitch," Dombrowski said. “There’s not enough time to build him up and you don’t want to rush him and have him get hurt.

“If you think he’s healthy -- and I’m not the one capable of making that decision, it’s going be the doctors’ decision -- picking up his option is a pretty simple thing, because he’s a good big-league pitcher. It’s more a matter of the health perspective. Otherwise it’s an easy decision because he’s a quality big-league pitcher.

“Everything I hear is he’s going to be fine."

The club holds a $13-million option on Buchholz for 2016, and another $13.5-million option for 2017. Staying healthy has been an issue for Buchholz throughout his time with the Sox. In five of his eight seasons with the club, he has made 18 or fewer starts. He was shut down this season with a 7-7 record and 3.26 ERA after 18 starts.