Brandon McCarthy might throw a second bullpen session this week on the Dodgers’ off-day Thursday. (Associated Press photo)

Brandon McCarthy found his release point Tuesday.

He found it in the Dodger Stadium bullpen, which doesn’t count the same as finding it in a game. On Sunday, McCarthy’s four-seam fastball was “a disappearing mess,” and he walked five batters in only 3 ⅔ innings against the Boston Red Sox.

But the veteran right-hander was encouraged enough by his bullpen session to keep his name penciled in for Saturday’s starting assignment against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt watched McCarthy throw. Even though McCarthy threw comfortably, they still haven’t diagnosed the root of his release-point issue.

“It’s something within the throw there at the end that has been hit or miss,” Honeycutt said. “Just got to figure that part out and hope it’s not nerve-related or something.”

McCarthy might end up throwing another bullpen Thursday at Dodger Stadium, an off-day for the club.

Rich Hill did not throw off a mound Tuesday, but the left-hander doesn’t believe that will prevent him from making his scheduled start Friday against the Pirates. He played catch in the outfield under the watchful eye of team trainers Tuesday.

Hill is on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on the tip of his left middle finger, and has already had one start scratched since he became a Dodger a week ago.

“We’re close,” he said. “For me, that’s what I’m keeping every day, staying in the routine of a five-day rotation in between starts.”

Laser treatment and rest have been the biggest assets in Hill’s recovery, he said.

“Eventually I think it will completely heal and be gone,” he said, “but right now it feels good to go for Friday. Just keep looking toward Friday, that’s all I can say.”

Right-hander Ross Stripling, who threw five shutout innings against the Red Sox in a spot start Saturday, also threw a bullpen session Tuesday. He took batting practice with the Dodgers’ other starting pitchers (except Hill and Kenta Maeda, who starts today) and is an option to start in place of either Hill or McCarthy.

So is Brett Anderson, in theory. The left-hander made a five-inning rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday and is eligible to be activated from the disabled list for the first time this season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the plan for Anderson remains to be determined.

Here’s what Roberts said about Stripling, McCarthy and Hill in his pregame session with reporters: