The Boston Red Sox Wednesday, March 31, 2021

* The Boston Globe

Red Sox are about as ready as they can be to start the season

Peter Abraham

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Alex Cora’s relentless optimism was tested for a few days when Matt Barnes tested positive for COVID-19 and three other pitchers were roped into quarantine for being in close contact with him.

Happy Alex was back Tuesday.

“We’re getting all the boys back today,” the Red Sox manager said.

Barnes was cut loose from protocol Monday after it was determined that he was “non-infectious.” That’s a new term in virusville, but none of the Red Sox cared much about the details.

What matters is that Barnes will be on the Opening Day roster, as will Matt Andriese, Garrett Richards, and Garrett Whitlock. With only a few exceptions, the team the Sox felt good about in February will be the one in uniform for Opening Day against the Baltimore Orioles Thursday.

Eduardo Rodriguez is a few days behind his rotation mates but should make his first start sometime next week. The Sox are expected to plug Tanner Houck into the rotation to make a start in his place.

When the Sox needed a depth starter last year, it was often some waiver-wire vagabond or an overmatched rookie. That, or they resorted to running a parade of middling relievers to the mound.

Now it’s Houck, a legitimate 24-year-old prospect who was lights-out in three starts at the end of last season and has pitched well in camp.

He needs a third pitch to succeed long-term and ideally would be working on that in the minors for a bit. But Houck is a major upgrade over the likes of Zack Godley, Andrew Triggs, and assorted no-hopers the Sox used last season.

The Sox don’t have a rotation that compares favorably to the Yankees, Rays, or even Blue Jays. But at least it’s a competitive one that will give the lineup a chance to win. They left here feeling good after posting a 16-11-1 record and leading the Grapefruit League in runs and home runs by a wide margin.

Like the Sox of old, their strength will be the offense. The versatility of the roster will be a plus, too.

You will see Kiké Hernández start games in center field and finish them at second base. Marwin Gonzalez, who had a good camp at the plate, played games at first, second, third, shortstop, right field, and left field in Florida.

After always knowing what positions Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts would play, Sox fans will have to get used to checking the lineup to see who’s where in the outfield.

Alex Verdugo is a center fielder who will play right field sometimes and started in left Tuesday because Cora wanted to see what that looked like.

The Sox will dig into the numbers and arrange their defense accordingly. The Rays have used defensive versatility to their advantage for years, and Chaim Bloom brought that with him. It didn’t make much of a difference over 60 games last year but should over 162.

“Very solid camp,” Cora said. “With all the obstacles with the virus, we kept the energy, we played good baseball. We did a few things differently as far as preparation and you can see it paid off.”

Cora was referring to the emphasis placed on individual defensive skills for infielders. The Sox had a lot to clean up, and we’ll see if that translates once the games count, especially for Rafael Devers at third base.

There could be a change or two if Bloom looks for an upgrade, especially in the bullpen. But here is the team heading for Fenway:

Rotation: Nate Eovaldi, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Martín Pérez, Garrett Richards.

Bullpen: Matt Andriese, Matt Barnes, Austin Brice, Darwinzon Hernandez, Adam Ottavino, Hirokazu Sawamura, Josh Taylor, Phillips Valdez, Garett Whitlock.

Catchers: Kevin Plawecki, Christian Vazquez.

Infielders: Christian Arroyo, Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers.

Outfielders: Franchy Cordero, Hunter Renfroe, Alex Verdugo.

INF/OF: Marwin Gonzalez, Kiké Hernández.

Designated hitter: J.D. Martinez.

As tradition dictates, there was plenty of first-pitch swinging and quick outs in the final game of spring training. The Sox and Braves agreed beforehand to play seven innings, and they finished up in two hours and 17 minutes.

Then it was off to Boston for what should be a much more interesting season than last year.

See you at the ballpark. Finally.

Alex Cora has the Red Sox starting rotation just about set

Peter Abraham

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox have just about set their rotation behind Opening Day starter Nate Eovaldi to begin the season.

The Game 2 starter remains to be determined, manager Alex Cora said Tuesday. But with Eduardo Rodriguez expected to be placed on the injured list, it’s likely to be rookie Tanner Houck.

Cora said Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta, and Martín Pérez would follow from there.

Rodriguez traveled with the team to Boston Tuesday, and any stay on the IL is expected to be a short one.

“It seems like he’s running out of time to be with us early,” Cora said. “I’m not talking about that we’re going to lose him for a while. But we have to be careful with him.”

Rodriguez could be backdated on the IL and pitch as soon as the sixth or seventh game. He missed his last spring training start with arm fatigue.

Rodriguez has thrown in the bullpen twice since then and felt fine but will likely face hitters at some point before he gets back into the rotation.

“It’s just about building him up and getting him ready,” Cora said.

Houck worked 4⅓ shutout innings Monday against Atlanta’s starting lineup and struck out six. He’s lined up for Saturday.

Richards pitched three innings in the bullpen Monday after learning he had been released from COVID-19 protocols. That sets him up for Sunday.

Cordero ready to go Franchy Cordero was activated off the COVID-19 injured list and will be on the roster Thursday. The left fielder was late to camp after testing positive for COVID-19 in the Dominican Republic but was able to catch up.

Cordero appeared in only seven Grapefruit League games but picked up at-bats in B games, simulated games, and live batting practice.

The Red Sox also optioned infielder Michael Chavis to the alternate site in Worcester.

Chavis had an .892 OPS in 25 Grapefruit League games. But the Sox elected to keep infielder Christian Arroyo, a more versatile defender who had a .771 OPS in 22 games.

That Chavis had minor league options and Arroyo does not was a factor. Chavis also struck out in 20 of his 65 plate appearances and drew only two walks.

“One thing we like about Christian is he can play short,” Cora said. “We saw it through the spring.

“Michael, he made some strides. I’m glad that he was upset. That’s part of it. Nobody is happy when they send you down. But we talked about a few things he needed to do to become a complete hitter.

“He didn’t control the strike zone. He was very aggressive chasing pitches out of the strike zone.”

On the pitching side, the Sox optioned righthanded reliever Colten Brewer and kept righthander Phillips Valdez.

Setback for Brasier Righthanded reliever Ryan Brasier suffered a Grade 2 strain to his left calf fielding a ball in Monday’s B game against the Twins. He is on crutches and will remain in Florida.

“It doesn’t look too promising,” Cora said. “He thought it was a cramp early on and at night he felt worse.”

Brasier broke a bone in his right hand in December, then was delayed arriving at camp by a personal matter. He had progressed to facing hitters but did not get in any Grapefruit League games.

Brasier has appeared in 121 games since 2018, fourth-most among Red Sox pitchers, with a 3.70 earned run average.

With Brasier out, the Sox will need Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor to take on higher-leverage roles.

Sox add reliever Rondón Righthanded reliever Héctor Rondón reached agreement with the Red Sox on a minor league deal, according to a major league source. The righthander will receive a $1 million salary if called up to the big leagues.

Rondón, 32, was a valuable contributor out of the Cubs and Astros bullpens from 2013-19, but allowed 18 runs in 20 innings last year with the Diamondbacks. He spent spring training with the Phillies but was recently released.

Sale on board Chris Sale, who turned 32 Tuesday, was on the flight to Boston and will be with the team for now as he continues his Tommy John rehabilitation. “For him to go with the team and be up there, he’s a leader,” Cora said. “He’s been in meetings; he’s been in bullpens; he’s going through his progression. He feels great about where he’s at. For him to be around us, it means a lot and I know it means a lot to him.” … Righthanded reliever John Schreiber was designated for assignment to make room for Cordero on the 40- man roster … The Sox signed 31-year-old righthanded reliever Tyler Olson to a minor league contract. He will take part in minor league camp at Fenway South. Olson has a 3.83 ERA in 124 major league games from 2015-19 … With Canada’s border expected to remain closed, the Blue Jays announced that they would use their spring training park for home games through May 24. That includes games against the Red Sox May 18-20.

Tuesday’s Red Sox spring training report: Florida slate wraps up with a loss

Peter Abraham

▪ Score: Braves 5, Red Sox 3 (7 innings).

▪ Final Grapefruit League record: 16-11-1.

▪ Breakdown: Martín Pérez allowed one run through four innings before giving up three in the fifth on a home run by Ozzie Albies. J.D. Martinez had a two-run single in the fifth for the Sox. Jarren Duran came off the bench to go 2 for 2 with a double and a home run. He was 14 of 47 (.298) in spring training with 10 extra-base hits, including three home runs. Duran will start the season at the alternate site.

▪ Next: The Red Sox are scheduled to open the regular season at 2:10 p.m. Thursday at Fenway Park against Baltimore. Nate Eovaldi opposes John Means.

Red Sox’ Matt Barnes, out of COVID protocol, is ‘very relieved’ to be cleared for Opening Day

Julian McWilliams

When Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday, he was in complete shock. But after returning multiple negative tests since then, he has satisfied the Major League Baseball and Players’ Association joint protocols, allowing him to return to the team.

Barnes’s Saturday result has been categorized as a false positive or non-infectious positive.

“I feel very relieved,” Barnes said Tuesday morning. “You’ve been putting in the work the entire offseason and all spring training and getting to a point where you’re ready to go for the season.

“The medical staff here did a great job of, you know, staying in contact with me following the protocols.”

Barnes is the Red Sox’ union representative and helped sculpt some of the protocols, so remaining diligent was even more of a responsibility for him. He said he spent the majority of spring training in isolation when he wasn’t at the field, which made Saturday’s positive test even more surprising.

“It was crazy to me,” Barnes said. “When I found out on Saturday morning, I was like, there’s no way. I just haven’t gone anywhere.”

The brief setback hasn’t slowed Barnes’s progression. He fully expects to be with the team on Opening Day as a weapon in the back part of the bullpen.

“That won’t set me back,” Barnes said. “I mean, sometimes I don’t throw for two days in May or June just because.”

After an inconsistent 2020 season, Barnes was in top form throughout camp. He didn’t allow a run in five Grapefruit League appearances (5⅓ innings), yielded just two hits, and tallied eight strikeouts.

“It was his best fastball,” manager Alex Cora said. “Last year, his fastball wasn’t there. He’s made a few adjustments mechanics-wise, which I think they’re going to pay off.

“So he’s in a good spot, obviously, heavy week, with everything that went on. So just for him to slow everything down and just go through his workouts and do all that stuff, I think it was obviously good for him but also good for us.”

The Red Sox still haven’t announced who will be the closer, with Barnes and Adam Ottavino the two front- runners. From the beginning of camp, Barnes made it clear that he wants the gig. His performance can only help his case, yet Ottavino would be a solid choice as well.

Ottavino, too, had an impressive spring after a down year with the Yankees in 2020. He pitched 6⅓ innings without allowing an earned run, striking out seven.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Cora said, he still hadn’t discussed the situation with Barnes or Ottavino. But with Opening Day scheduled for Thursday, that conversation will happen within the next day, the manager said.

The two will play a large role in the bullpen regardless of who takes the ball in the ninth inning. Especially considering the Red Sox will be without reliever Ryan Brasier, who suffered a Grade 2 calf strain in a B game Monday that will result in a trip to the injured list.

Brasier’s injury also thrusts Josh Taylor into a larger role.

But Ottavino and Barnes are the linchpins to this group of relievers, and the way each threw the ball during the spring should give Sox fans some reassurance heading into the season.

As it pertains to Barnes, he’s healthy after a brief COVID scare, and his stuff on the mound is there.

“I do believe that his fastball is going to be a factor this year,” Cora said. “That’s something I’m looking forward to seeing.”

* The Boston Herald

Red Sox Notebook: Eduardo Rodriguez likely to start season on injured list

Steve Hewitt

The Red Sox aren’t taking their chances with Eduardo Rodriguez as the left-hander works his way back to full strength.

Rodriguez, whose “dead arm” cut his spring short and cost him his Opening Day start, is likely headed to the injured list to start the season, manager Alex Cora said on Tuesday.

“There’s a pretty good chance,” Cora said. “We’re running out of time and you’ve got to go through the progression with him. We’re not going to cut a few things just to have him. He might say all the right things but there is other stuff he has to do to prove to us he feels great. It’s not that we don’t trust him but we have to be very careful with him, so there’s a pretty good chance.”

If Rodriguez needs to go on the IL, Cora said it won’t be for long. He threw a bullpen on Tuesday and is flying back to Boston with the team for the start of the season. There, the team will come up with a plan for Rodriguez’s return.

“It’s about building him up,” Cora said. Like I said, we ran out of days. It’s not fair for him just to push him out there and compete, so we’ll talk as a group. We’ll map out a plan and we’ll go from there. But like I said, if it’s IL, it’s not long. It’s just about building him up and getting him ready.”

Without Rodriguez, Cora’s rotation to start the season is almost set. Nathan Eovaldi will start Opening Day on Thursday. Game 2 against the Orioles on Saturday is to be determined, but likely to be Tanner Houck. Then, Garrett Richards will start Sunday, Nick Pivetta will pitch Monday against the Rays, and Martin Perez will go on Tuesday.

Sale’s ‘best birthday gift’

Chris Sale turned 32 on Tuesday, and the pitcher received something of an unexpected but welcomed birthday wish from one of his teammates: Rafael Devers.

“Raffy Devers’ English is getting muy bueno, I’m telling you,” Cora said. “This morning, he goes, ‘Happy birthday, Chris Sale.’ And Sale had this smile. It was great. And then Raffy goes, like, ‘I’ve been working on my second language.’ And Chris just died. It was amazing. I think that was his best birthday gift today.”

As the Red Sox left on Tuesday from Fort Myers to Boston to start the season, Sale joined them and will continue his rehab from Tommy John surgery with the team. Cora said it’s important to have Sale, who had his surgery exactly a year ago, with them.

“To have him around is amazing,” Cora said. “It’s a year from the surgery, and for him to go with the team, be up there, he’s a leader. He’s been in meetings. He’s been in bullpens. He’s going through his progression, and he feels great about where he’s at. Not perfect obviously, but for him to be around us, it means a lot, and I know it means a lot to him.”

Sox finish ‘great’ spring

The Red Sox wrapped up their spring schedule on Tuesday with a 5-3 loss to the Braves. They finished with a 16-11-1 record, which was third best in the Grapefruit League.

Cora was happy with how the spring went, especially how the prospects performed. Jarren Duran was a standout, as he slashed .340/.367/.702, with three homers.

“It went great,” Cora said. “I was just thinking the last three innings, watching those kids play, this organization is in a good spot. Playing Nick (Yorke), Jeter (Downs), Jarren – they just go out there and play. They played a lot. They grew a lot. That’s why I feel that we did an amazing job with the big league club, but I was able to be around those kids – (Triston) Casas.

“The future is bright. We feel very good where we’re at. It’s very impressive to see all this stuff. It was fun. All the positive things that we did in the spring, just to be around those kids and to see the potential, that was really good. That was refreshing.”

Red Sox option Michael Chavis to alternate training site as Opening Day roster becomes clearer Franchy Cordero reinstated from COVID-19 IL

Steve Hewitt

Michael Chavis always faced an uphill battle to make the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster. But even after a solid spring, the infielder will start the season in Triple-A.

The Red Sox announced Tuesday that Chavis was optioned to the alternate training site, meaning Christian Arroyo beat him out for the final roster spot. Chavis still had options remaining, but Arroyo was out of options and would have needed to be exposed to waivers if the Red Sox decided to option him.

Chavis had hit .250 with six homers, 11 RBI, a .292 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage in 25 Grapefruit League games this spring. After a poor 2020 season at the plate, Chavis said he worked hard this offseason, knowing he needed a strong spring to earn a spot on the team.

Cora said Chavis was understandably disappointed in the decision.

“Both of them, they did an amazing job,” Cora said of Chavis and Arroyo. “They did a good job. Coming into the spring, I knew a little bit about Christian, I knew a lot about Michael. There’s a lot of circumstances that go into the decision but one thing that we like about Christian, he can play short. We saw it throughout spring, he can do that. Michael, he made some strides and we talked about it and I’m glad that he was upset because that’s part of it, nobody’s happy when they send you down, but we talked about a few things that he needs to do to be the complete hitter that we know he can be.”

Cora said one thing he wants to see Chavis continue to work on is controlling the strike zone better after he was aggressive with chasing pitches out of the zone. The manager thinks there will be a place for him back in the big leagues at some point this season.

“I’ve been saying all along, it takes more than 26 guys to win this thing,” Cora said. “Because you’re on the Opening Day roster, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be here the whole season, and there are circumstances and injuries and other stuff, especially nowadays. … We never know what can happen so he needs to be ready, not only him, all those kids down there. We know they can play. And I think it’ll be good for him to go down and play every day. And that’s going to make him a better player.”

Franchy Cordero’s return also made Chavis’ option inevitable. The outfielder was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday after being on it since Feb. 22. He’s progressed well after a late start to camp and will now be on the Opening Day roster.

Other Red Sox roster moves:

* In addition to Chavis, right-handed reliever Colten Brewer was optioned to the alternate training site. That means Phillips Valdez, who emerged as one of the Red Sox’ best bullpen arms last season, will likely be on the Opening Day roster.

* To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher John Schreiber was designated for assignment.

Red Sox’ Matt Barnes ‘super relieved’ to be cleared after COVID-19 scare

Steve Hewitt

Matt Barnes woke up on Saturday morning stunned to learn he had tested positive for COVID-19.

The Red Sox reliever hadn’t been anywhere other than where he needed to be, and he had been responsible. But somehow, a test he took late last week turned out to be positive.

“It was crazy to me when I found out on Saturday morning,” Barnes said. “I was like, there’s no way, I haven’t gone anywhere. I went to the grocery store for 30 minutes and that was it. Other than that, it was the field and my house. And I felt completely fine. So I was definitely like, it didn’t feel right.”

It was an emotional three days for Barnes, who was “very relieved” to find out Monday that the positive test was a false alarm. He and the eight other Red Sox players who were deemed close contacts to Barnes were cleared to return to camp, but not before the veteran relief pitcher, who is also a union rep, feared the possibility that not only would he miss the start of the season, but some of his teammates would be out, too.

Over the last three days, Barnes said he’s taken about eight tests, and they’ve all come back negative.

“I can tell you before we had COVID back in 2018 or 2019, I didn’t go anywhere in spring training anyways, let alone when we have a global pandemic,” Barnes said. …

“If I had done something dumb where I had gone somewhere I shouldn’t have, or I had people in town, or I had done something or even if I was symptomatic, I was like, man, I could maybe see this,” Barnes said. “I still would’ve beaten myself up, but sitting there trying to figure out where I could’ve gotten this from having followed all the protocols, making sure I wasn’t putting myself or anyone else in jeopardy, especially five days before the season starts, six days before the season starts. …

“There were guys in quarantine, some of the teammates who were close contacts had to quarantine. One in specific, I mean (Garrett) Whitlock, I was like man, this is going to be his first one (Opening Day). I’m like, imagine if he missed it because I was an idiot, but I didn’t do anything. So I’m sitting there kind of wrestling with those two things, and I can tell you that I’m super relieved. Super happy that it was just a misunderstanding and we are good to go at full strength, and we’ll have everyone ready to go for Thursday.”

Upon testing positive, Barnes said he stayed home and just sat on his couch for about 14 hours on Saturday and Sunday, not leaving unless he was getting tested. He was cleared by the MLB joint committee on Monday morning and then came to the ballpark to throw while socially distanced.

He wasn’t sure how he may have tested positive.

“I haven’t really talked with them about that,” Barnes said. “When I showed up to camp, my antibody test showed I didn’t have them. I don’t know. I’m not a medical expert. Frankly, I don’t really care how it’s labeled, the only thing that matters to me is I’ve got negatives, I’m back with the team and ready to go now.”

Barnes doesn’t think this will set him back as the season starts Thursday. He threw on back-to-back days Thursday and Friday before throwing again on Monday, and he said it’s normal for him to not throw on consecutive days during the season. He’s fully ready to go for his eighth season with the Red Sox, potentially as the team’s closer.

“You’ve been putting the work in the entire offseason and all spring training and getting to the point where you’re ready to go for the season and something like that happens,” Barnes said. “The medical staff did a great job of staying in contact with me, following the protocols, obviously you’ve got to follow the protocols in situations like that, and they did a fantastic job. We were able to get enough negative tests to come back. Definitely excited.”

Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier suffers left calf strain

Steve Hewitt

Ryan Brasier can’t catch a break this spring.

The Red Sox reliever hit another setback as an MRI revealed that he suffered a Grade 2 left calf strain, manager Alex Cora said. It occurred as he was trying to field a ground ball during a B game on Monday.

Cora said Brasier will stay down in Fort Myers as he begins his recovery.

“Timetable, I can’t give you that,” Cora said. “It’s just a matter of, he’ll start working on that. Hopefully he recovers sooner rather than later and he can contribute.”

Brasier was already unlikely to make the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster. He had a slow start to camp after having to leave due to personal reasons, and he also suffered a small fracture below the pinky finger on his throwing hand earlier this month.

10 bold predictions for the 2021 Red Sox

Jason Mastrodonato

Good news, baseball fans: Opening Day is Thursday, fans are being welcomed back to all 30 stadiums and as soon as the players reach the 85% vaccination mark, restrictions will be relaxed for a season that’s something close to normal.

The bad news? The Red Sox probably aren’t going to make the playoffs.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t make some bold predictions with a fresh 162-game season upon us.

Without further ado, 10 things we know for sure will absolutely happen this year (or they might not, but who’s to say?):

1. Tanner Houck will be the Red Sox’ best starting pitcher

Sure, if Houck leads the rotation, it probably wasn’t a very successful season. But at least the Sox will have drafted and developed a legitimate young starter, something they haven’t done since Clay Buchholz was selected 42nd overall in 2005. Houck was touching 97 mph in spring training, but was too erratic with his command early and got optioned back to Triple-A Worcester. Now it looks like Houck could start the year in the rotation to replace the injured Eduardo Rodriguez. His sinker/slider combination is as good as anyone’s, as evident by his 21 strikeouts and 0.53 ERA over three starts last season. He’s got the build and makeup to be a top-of-the-rotation starter for years to come.

2. Role players thrusted into starring roles run into trouble

Trying to spend efficiently to fill a handful of holes on the roster this winter, the Sox ended up with role players they hope will be versatile enough to handle increased workloads. It all sounds good in theory, but it’s rarely a slam dunk to take players who were previously part-time guys and stick them into key roles. Kiké Hernandez has only twice in his career collected at least 300 at-bats in a season, and his highest-ever is 414 at-bats in 2019. Now he’ll be the Sox’ leadoff hitter every day, expected to be a Gold Glove candidate at second base while also spending time in center field. Marwin Gonzalez has never before had 500 at-bats in a season, either. Former Sox utility man Brock Holt would often break down with everyday use, instead excelling when playing three or four times a week.

3. Alex Verdugo will score 100 runs

He scored 36 runs in 52 games hitting leadoff for a last-place team that often looked lifeless in 2020, his first year in a Red Sox uniform. If there was any pressure after getting traded for Mookie Betts and replacing him in right field, Verdugo didn’t show signs of feeling it. He’s got as much confidence as anyone to play the position before him, and at 24 years old, he’s still got plenty of growing to do. His all- fields swing from the left-hand side should play beautifully in Fenway Park. And with J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers hitting behind him, Verdugo should be a run-scoring machine in 2021.

4. Jarren Duran logs 300-plus at-bats

Verdugo is more than capable of playing center field, but the Red Sox don’t have much else going on in the outfield. Franchy Cordero is interesting but oft-injured. Hunter Renfroe has huge power but has never been an everyday player. Gonzalez and Hernandez could be needed more in the infield. And at some point soon, if not already, the Sox are going to need a regular center fielder, allowing Verdugo to settle into right, a position he handled well last year. Duran had a monster spring, finishing with a .340 average, 1.069 OPS and three home runs. He’s clearly still a work in progress defensively, and continues to take questionable routes whenever he’s turned around to give chase. But he’s fast enough and talented enough to make an impact this year.

5. Red Sox win 74 games and finish in fourth place

Before you crinkle up this newspaper or slam your laptop shut, let me tell you that this is not what I want to happen. Watching the last-place team struggle in 2020 was painfully boring. We need the Red Sox to be good to keep things interesting around here. I just don’t know where the quality innings are coming from. At this point it seems like a long shot to expect Chris Sale back before the All-Star break. Counting on oft- injured starters Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Richards is a fool’s game. Eduardo Rodriguez is a perfect No. 2 starter, but we don’t know how his body will hold up after missing the entire ’20 season. The only reliable innings the Sox can count on are from Martin Perez, who has the highest ERA in MLB over the last three years. The bullpen has some talent, but it’s difficult to see this pitching staff being able to contain the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays well enough to go .500 in their 57 games against them. Everything has to go just perfectly for this team, and there are too many questions to count on that happening.

Rapid fire round!

6. Bobby Dalbec will hit .247 with 31 home runs and 183 strikeouts. 7. Darwinzon Hernandez will end the year as the team’s closer. 8. Bogaerts will finish top-five in MVP voting for the second time in his career. 9. Martinez will have a nice bounce-back season but fall just short of hitting .300. 10. The Red Sox will play their best baseball in September, when prospects like Duran, Jeter Downs, Triston Casas, Bryan Mata, Jay Groome and Thaddeus Ward are given opportunities.

New season puts dismal 2020 behind us

Bill Speros

Opening Day for the 2021 Red Sox comes a year too late.

Baseball and its fans return to Fenway Park tomorrow.

Temperatures will be in the low 60s beneath partly-cloudy skies.

Concessionaires will be hawking their wares and victuals outside the ballpark.

Rumor has it Patriots QB Cam Newton will throw out the first pitch — after they move the mound 30 feet closer to home plate.

We kid because we can.

The 2020 Red Sox were a joke.

And New England absorbed the punch line.

Those Red Sox played unwinnable and unwatchable baseball. The roster was laden with anonymous ballplayers. The manager — Ron Whatwashisname — elicited more sympathy than generated strategy. Sixty games was 162 too many.

The Luxury Tax Threshold was team MVP.

The somnambulistic 2020 Red Sox logged their worst finish since LBJ — not that LBJ — was in the White House and a rookie pitcher named Jim Lonborg went 9-17 for a ballclub that lost 100 games.

Boston was so deep in the standings, it finished in the AL Central.

Apathy gripped the Hub like a second wave of coronavirus. Worse, the annual vaccine for baseball boredom that was Tom Brady jolted for Tampa and took Gronk with him.

Instead of turning the page on last season, let’s ban the entire book.

Too bad Dr. Seuss never weighed in on the Mookie Betts trade.

“I do not like it, John and Tom.

I do not like that Mookie’s gone.”

Hard to believe 2018 was just three years ago. Betts was dealt before last season. JBJ and Andrew Benintendi subsequently left town this past winter.

The times they are a-changing. The Patriots have a Black starting QB — at least until Jimmy G returns. Boston has a Black mayor. LeBron James will soon become a part-owner of the Red Sox. Still, John Henry’s 2021 squad is projected to have as many African American players on their April 1 Opening Day roster as Tom Yawkey’s 1941 Red Sox had on theirs.

That would be zero.

No foolin’.

The gaping lack of African American ballplayers in the majors these days is much more a result of a generational shift in how younger athletes choose to develop their talents and MLB’s failure to grow the game among urban populations than it is the ghost of Pinky Higgins floating around Chaim Bloom’s office.

Thankfully, this franchise has long moved past such designators when it comes to choosing — or not choosing — its athletes. Alex Cora’s starting lineup is flush with Latin players, including three-fourths of the infield, the DH and starting catcher. Past is no longer prologue.

Henry skipped his annual meet-and-greet with State Run Media in Fort Myers. We may need to put his face on the back of a milk carton if he doesn’t show up tomorrow. We’ve been told he’s still fully engaged in the operation of the team. That may or may not be a good thing. We do hope he is well.

Simple is always better before any season. In 1967, Dick Williams famously predicted “we’ll win more than we lose.” He was right. This week, Cora confidentially noted: “We’re ready to go.”

COVID scares aside, the Red Sox head north carrying legitimate optimism. Their over/under in total wins is 80.5 at Boston-based DraftKings. That seems a bit on the low side given Boston’s potential. If Chris Sale can contribute after the All-Star break and Boston gets consistency from its closer, that number should be eclipsed. Cora is a tempting +1200 to be AL Manager of the Year at the same site.

Head to Rhode Island or New Hampshire to place your legal wagers.

Bet early and often.

This year’s Red Sox lineup has potential to generate runs, if not a lot of home runs. That’s fine. There’s a new “deader ball” being used in the majors this season, so don’t be surprised if HR totals fall everywhere.

J.D. Martinez remains the lineup’s epicenter. Martinez was lost at the plate in 2020, especially since he was denied in-game video for assistance. His numbers were dismal: a career-low .213 average with seven homers and 27 RBI over 54 games. He’ll get his video back this season and should/must improve if not thrive over 162 games. Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts remain worthy draws. If you believe the hype, Bobby Dalbec is a contender to be Boston’s first Rookie of the Year since Dustin Pedroia in 2007.

The pitching, always the pitching. The Red Sox will avoid “bullpen games” this year. The core of the rotation — Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi and Martín Pérez — must deliver quality innings or the rest of what is written here won’t matter a damn.

The most intriguing early-season storyline at Fenway Park may occur in the stands and not the standings. America’s Favorite Ballpark is open to 12% capacity — or about 4,500 fans. People will be seated in pods, spread apart from others. Masks will be required for all in attendance age 2 and up.

It may be worth the price of a secondary-market ticket just to check out those gleaming, environmental- friendly, fully-sanitized bathrooms. Bring your shades. These are not your father’s cigarette-butt-filled troughs. For the first time in more than 100 years, you will be safer inside than outside a Fenway Park restroom.

The Red Sox say fans will have to follow “all guidelines related to proper social distancing.” There was no word forthcoming from the team about what happens when a foul ball lands in the stands when the ballpark is 88% empty during a pandemic.

Will fans be able to leave their pods and pursue the coveted prize?

Or will they be arrested and detained by Charlie Baker’s COVID Tracers?

Tune into NESN and see for yourself.

First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m.

“Play ball!”

Fenway Park prepares to reopen to Red Sox fans

Meghan Ottolini

Fenway Park employees are mowing the outfield, painting baselines and sanitizing seats to welcome the Boston Red Sox — and their fans — back to the ballpark Thursday.

Opening Day will mark the first time Sox fans have been in attendance since well before coronavirus hit, although only 4,500 people — or 12% capacity — will be allowed at the beginning of the season.

It’s a small number compared to a typical Opening Day, but the staff at Fenway are giddy to usher them back into the stands.

“We can’t wait. It’s been a long time coming,” said ballpark operations Vice President Peter Nesbit. “There’s a lot of us who have worked here for 10, 20, 30, 40 years and have never had a game without fans in the ballpark, so last summer was really tough.”

The Sox played an abbreviated season at Fenway in 2020, but no fans were permitted inside the park. The games relied on taped crowd noise and cardboard cutouts of people to make the experience slightly less lonely.

Opening Day tickets are technically only available to season ticket holders. Once inside the park, they’ll encounter some unusual safety measures Fenway has instated to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Fans must wear their masks inside the park unless they are actively eating or drinking, and they can only consume concessions in their assigned seat. Those seats are socially distanced into pods that range from two to six people, all over the park. Seats not in use are zip-tied to prevent abuse of social distancing guidelines.

Nesbit said ballpark operations is taking a page out of baseball’s notebook to enforce their policies.

“We are using a version of baseball’s ‘three strikes, and you’re out.’ A lot of it is education-based, we want to makes sure that people understand the policy and are aware of it,” he said.

There won’t be the usual “hawkers” in stands — the folks who can bring beers and Cracker Jack to fans’ seats, at least for now. Nesbit said he’s hopeful the usual vendors can return as the state climbs out of the pandemic, but for now, the park is focused on concession operations that utilize as little human contact as possible.

But have no fear, even in a mask, fans are encouraged to sing their favorite tunes.

“We’ll do ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the 8th inning, ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ in the 7th inning stretch,” Nesbit said.

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox roster takes shape with season opener on Thursday

Bill Koch

The Red Sox played their final Grapefruit League game of the spring season on Tuesday.

That sets up one last round of roster moves prior to Opening Day, and it started in the morning. Franchy Cordero was activated off the COVID-19 reserve list and John Schreiber was designated for assignment. Michael Chavis and Colten Brewer were optioned to the alternate site at Triple-A Worcester.

Cordero tested positive for the virus during the club’s intake process but has been able to catch up over the last couple of weeks. Schreiber was an offseason waiver claim from the Tigers while Chavis and Brewer found themselves as the odd men out among the position players and pitching staff, respectively.

“We had a meeting yesterday,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’ll talk a little bit after we’re done here. We have to talk to some of the players and give them the good news and the bad news.”

Cordero was one of the headlining offseason acquisitions for Boston, as left fielder Andrew Benintendi was traded to the Royals. The Red Sox picked up Cordero from Kansas City, right-hander Josh Winckowski from the Mets and three players to be named later. Cordero is expected to be in the outfield alongside Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe, Kiké Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez.

“With all the obstacles, with the virus, we kept the energy,” Cora said. “We played good baseball.”

Chavis slugged six home runs and had an .892 OPS through his first 25 games this spring. He missed out on a three-man bench that figures to include Gonzalez as a super-utility man, Kevin Plawecki as a backup catcher and Christian Arroyo as a reserve infielder. Arroyo is out of options and was a central piece in a December 2017 trade from the Giants to the Rays, one that returned Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria and would have been familiar to current Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.

“We’ll talk to them and they understand — hopefully, they understand,” Cora said. “If they’re disappointed, I get it. You’ve been fighting for a spot the whole spring. At the end of the day it’s 162, and these guys have to come up here at a certain point in the season and they have to contribute.”

Matt Andriese and Rule 5 Draft pick Garrett Whitlock figure to be the long options out of the bullpen, squeezing Brewer to the alternate site. Phillips Valdez survived at the back end of what could be a reconfigured late-inning mix. Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino, Darwinzon Hernandez, Josh Taylor and Hirokazu Sawamura all figure to see some high-leverage work in the opening weeks.

“Everybody agreed who we’re going with,” Cora said. “In the end, like I’ve been saying all along — I said it in ‘18, ‘19 — it takes more than 26 guys to win a World Series. Whoever goes to Triple A or the alternate site, they’re going to have to contribute throughout the season.”

Boston also looks likely to place a pair of players on the 10-day injured list. Ryan Brasier suffered a Grade 2 left calf strain on Monday while pitching in a simulated game. The right-handed reliever was already working back from a broken pinkie finger and some time spent away from camp due to personal reasons.

“We’ll know more in the upcoming days,” Cora said. “It doesn’t look too promising. He thought it was a cramp early on, but obviously at night he felt worse.”

Eduardo Rodriguez reported no setbacks from his Monday bullpen session, but the left-hander still might be out of uniform on Thursday. Rodriguez experienced arm fatigue after being named the starter for Opening Day and was scratched for the second straight year. Nathan Eovaldi will take the ball against the Orioles and the Red Sox have declined to name their rotation beyond Thursday.

“It seems like he’s running out of time to be with us early,” Cora said. “And I’m not talking about losing him for a while, but we have to be careful with him. We’ll talk about it today and see where we go with that.”

Positive test left Barnes confused, guilt-ridden

Bill Koch

Matt Barnes was left alone with his thoughts at his Florida home last weekend.

How could he possibly have contracted COVID-19? Had he exposed any of his teammates to the virus? What would the next few days look like for the Red Sox at their JetBlue Park complex?

Boston’s potential closer and the organization welcomed a pleasantly surprising answer on Monday. Barnes was determined to have received a non-infectious positive for the virus and was cleared to return by a joint committee. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association both signed off on Barnes playing catch late Monday and reporting as scheduled to work on Tuesday.

“You put in the work the entire offseason and all spring training and get to the point where you’re ready to go for the season, and something like that happens,” Barnes said. “The medical staff here did a great job of staying in contact with me and following the protocols.”

Barnes pitched on Thursday against the Twins and on Friday in a simulated game in Fort Myers. Word of his positive test came on Saturday morning, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora made the news public. Eight members of the organization were subject to contact tracing — fellow pitchers Matt Andriese, Garrett Richards and Garrett Whitlock were among them.

“We’re getting all the boys back today,” Cora said. “We’ve got to know where they’re at. The relievers, just a few days off — that's not going to bother them. They’ll be ready for Thursday.”

Barnes serves as the Red Sox representative to the MLBPA, which gave him a first-hand look at how protocols released in February were negotiated and drafted. He insisted on Tuesday that he had paid strict adherence to those guidelines since pitchers and catchers went through intake testing seven weeks ago. Aside from a brief trip to the grocery store, Barnes couldn’t recall a situation away from the ballpark where he might have been exposed.

“Before we had COVID, back in 2018, 2019 — I didn’t go anywhere in spring training anyway, let alone when we have a global pandemic,” Barnes said. “It was crazy to me. When I found out on Saturday morning, I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ ”

Cora and Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom both checked up on Barnes with Saturday phone calls. Most of the conversation involved fellow Boston players and staff members. Barnes felt particular concern for Whitlock, a Rule 5 Draft pick from the Yankees who was previously informed he would make the first Opening Day roster of his career.

“I was like, ‘Man, this is going to be his first one,’ ” Barnes said. “Imagine if he missed it because I was an idiot? But I didn’t do anything. So I’m sitting there kind of wrestling with those two things.

“I can tell you I’m super relieved. I’m super happy it was just a misunderstanding and we’re good to go and we’ll be at full strength and we’ll have everybody ready to go for Thursday.”

The Red Sox were scheduled to travel back to Boston as a group on Tuesday night and enjoy an off day prior to the opener against the Orioles on Thursday. Barnes and Adam Ottavino were considered the frontrunners for the ninth inning closer rule — Cora has yet to publicly make a decision. Richards threw three simulated innings late Monday and could still put himself on track for a weekend start against Baltimore.

“There's a chance he’ll pitch Sunday or Monday,” Cora said. “We’ll decide how he feels. We’re not going to push him. He’ll let us know how he feels and we’ll go from there.”

After miserable 2020, 5 thoughts on this Red Sox team

Bob Rathgeber

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston's spring training came to an end on Tuesday with a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park. After a 16-11 Grapefruit League campaign, the Red Sox began their trip north to open Fenway Park on Thursday afternoon, as they try to erase any reminders of their miserable 2020 season.

Here are five thoughts on this Boston Red Sox team as they prepare to start their 2021 season.

Dalbec the real deal? Spring training is a small sample size of a player’s ability. Say, if Player A, a rookie, hits over .300, leads the Grapefruit League in home runs and cuts his strikeouts in half, Red Sox bandwagon jumpers will proclaim a new home run king who will take the American League by surprise.

Player A in this case is Bobby Dalbec, who will play first base and is the only rookie in the starting lineup. He’s had an eye-popping spring training with seven home runs, including two grand slams These home run numbers come after an impressive month of mashing last year when he made his debut in September.

Strikeouts have always been Dalbec’s Waterloo. However, that is the cost of seeing towering fly balls soaring over the Green Monster. This spring, Dalbec has made better contact and cut his whiff rate to about one per game.

“It just shows his raw power. It shows what he’s capable of doing,” said Tim Hyers, the Sox hitting coach. "He’s really displayed it this spring. I think we’re going to live with some strikeouts because most power hitters come with strikeouts. But he’s done a good job working to try to eliminate some of them. He’s given us some productive ABs and he’s hitting the ball to all fields.”

In fact, his first two homers were laser shots over the right-center field fence.

Hyers said that is the key to success or failure for Dalbec.

“I think, when he gets too pull happy, I think that’s when the strikeouts will pile up. But he’s confident, seeing the baseball deep, using all fields. He’s capable of hitting it out of any ballpark, anywhere.”

Will Martinez bounce back? Then there’s Player B, a wily veteran who has played in way more spring training games than he can count. He knows that whether he hits .250 or .450 in March, it doesn’t matter. He’s getting paid the big bucks for hitting home runs and knocking in runs between April and October.

J.D. Martinez, a 10-year veteran at age 33, didn’t hit his first home run until the penultimate game this spring. He’s been honing his stroke and is confident that last season, his worst by far when he batted just .213, was an aberration.

Hyers sees better days ahead for the right-handed slugger who has hit as many as 45 homers in a season and has batted over .300 in five of his 10 seasons.

“We’ve seen progress with him,” Hyers said. “He probably hasn’t had the spring he wants to have, but you look back at 2018, I don’t think he even hit a homer in spring training and we know what he did that year (43 homers, 130 RBI, .330 average.). We have seen him get the head out and pull some baseballs to the pull side … that’s a good sign."

If the Red Sox are to be any kind of factor in the American League East, Martinez must play up to the $19 million he will earn this year.

Right from the start Enrique (Kiké) Hernandez, who was last seen doing some serious damage to the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, looks to play a key role for Boston this season.

As manager Alex Cora has often said, versatility is the theme of this year’s spring training. Hernandez is at the heart of that. He can play all over the diamond. He’ll likely start at second base in Thursday’s opener, but don’t be surprised to see him in center field before the weekend is over.

He’s had a good spring at the dish, hitting well over .300. And his bat has some pop. He has three spring training home runs. He had a career-high 21 in 2018.

He’ll bat leadoff.

“We’ve challenged him to get on base this spring, and he has done that,” Cora said. “He’s a good player, has good instincts. I am very pleased with him leading off.”

A career .240 hitter, Hernandez has hit like a .340 hitter this spring. He leads all of baseball in on-base percentage (.466) and has more walks (10) than strikeouts (8).

Whitlock surprises The most pleasant surprise of the spring has been pitcher Garrett Whitlock, who the Red Sox plucked from the Yankees in the minor-league draft. Never pitching higher than Double A, he earned his first crack at the major leagues with an awesome spring training.

The Yankees hoped a season of inactivity because of Tommy John surgery and no minor-league season last year because of COVID-19 would allow them to leave Whitlock off the 40-man roster.

The Sox had to put Whitlock on their major-league roster by the end of spring training or offer him back to the Yankees. He must remain in the major leagues all season.

He didn’t earn the chance by charity. He pitched in four games, working nine innings. He struck out 12 and didn’t walk a batter. How Cora uses him is a work in progress, but since the Sox bullpen is thin, he may see quite a bit of time on the mound.

Importance of Cora The return of Cora to the Sox dugout may be the most important decision Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom has made in his short tenure. Cora spent 2020 in exile after he and the Sox agreed to part ways after he was labeled the ringleader in a sign-stealing scandal in Houston.

As Cora later said, that part of his career will stain him forever. Bloom hunted for a permanent replacement for Cora during and after the 2020 season. (Ron Roenicke served as manager last year and was let go after the season.) Bloom said he talked to eight or nine candidates before flying to Puerto Rico to hear Cora out. He came away feeling that Cora was genuine, remorseful and resolute in assuring him he would never get involved in any kind of chicanery again.

In early November he was rehired. The players were thrilled. There has been a sense of higher expectations throughout spring training with Cora back in the dugout. Cora remains upbeat and thankful, and is the antithesis of the “nattering nabobs of negativism.”

That’s surely worth a few wins this season.

* The Boston Herald

* The Providence Journal

* MassLive.com

Scouting Jarren Duran: Boston Red Sox super prospect hit just 3 homers in college but scout Justin Horowitz saw ‘untapped power potential’ that’s beginning to translate

Christopher Smith

Red Sox scout Justin Horowitz first saw Jarren Duran play during fall 2017, the then-Long Beach State second baseman’s junior year. Duran’s explosive speed stood out immediately.

“It was very eye-popping to me,” Horowitz said. “He was on first base and somebody else hit a ball in the gap. I was watching the baseball in left-center field. And as I’m watching the baseball, I see like a blur flash in my peripheral vision and I was like, ‘Whoa!’ He just kind of grabbed my attention. I was like, ‘Wow. That kid can really move.”

Duran’s offensive game was centered on his speed, but Horowitz eventually realized the left-handed hitter might have more power than he was showing in college. Duran slugged only .377 with three home runs in 169 games (663 at-bats) at Long Beach State.

Duran is showing that power potential in the Red Sox organization. His budding power, his speed and a switch from second base to center field have helped him rise from a 2018 seventh-round draft pick to a top prospect close to his major league debut.

The 24-year-old smashed his third home run of spring training during the Red Sox’s Grapefruit League finale against the Braves on Tuesday. He belted seven home runs in two months at the alternate training last summer.

In winter ball during the offseason, he went 5-for-15 with two homers, two doubles, six RBIs and seven runs in four games for Criollos de Caguas to win the MVP of the 2020-21 Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente Final Series.

“I don’t want to take any credit for anything that the player development staff and Jarren have done to tap in (to the potential),” Horowitz said. “What I would say is I saw Jarren as a strong kid, an explosive kid. I thought he had bat speed. And I did think he had some raw power in there that wasn’t showing up in games whether it was because of his flatter swing path or his approach in the box.”

Horowitz said Duran’s approach also could have had to do with offensive philosophy at Long Beach State and hitting at Blair Field.

“Whatever it may have been, I thought that Jarren generally battled in the box and had power that he just wasn’t tapping into,” Horowitz said. “So before the draft, my recommendation was just to say, ‘This kid’s super athletic, he’s really strong, he’s a really hard worker and he wants to get better. And I know he hasn’t been a big, impactful performer in college up until this point, but I do think there’s some untapped power potential in there. And if we can get him with our player development staff, hopefully, they can work with him to make some swing tweaks to get him to tap into that power.

“And that’s kind of what we’ve seen, right? With dropping the hands a little bit lower, creating a little bit more of a vertical path to create some more loft, allow him to get to inside pitches a little bit better, free him up a little bit more,” Horowitz added. “And it’s starting to show up from a results standpoint, which is awesome to see.”

Horowitz is only five years older than Duran.

The 29-year-old Horowitz played club baseball at Georgetown University and began as an intern in the Red Sox baseball operations department after his junior year.

He was personally surprised Duran still was available in the seventh round of the 2018 Draft.

“I didn’t think he would last nearly that long,” Horowitz said. “But obviously when we selected him there, I was pretty excited to get him. I thought we had a chance to capture some value because again I thought there was some untapped potential with Jarren. I’m guessing he likely fell a little bit into that area because I wouldn’t label him as an impact, collegiate performer from a statistical standpoint.”

Duran batted .294 with a .376 on-base percentage and .377 slugging percentage, three homers, 26 doubles and 10 triples in 169 games at Long Beach State.

“He was a good example of a kid that you had to go watch and have good scouting reports on to be able to push him up the board a little bit,” Horowitz said. “Just to identify a kid who is athletic, physical and strong; good, not great college performance.”

Might Duran have gone higher in the draft if he played center field in college?

“I think that’s fair to speculate, tough to really say,” Horowitz said. “That is definitely what I thought. I just thought his athleticism was a little bit bottled up at second base. He could play second base. He did it fine. I had no issues with it. I just thought there was a chance for impact in center field if you could kind of let this kid go be himself and run around out there and be a ball hog. So that’s what I recommended.”

Horowitz just had become an area scout for Southern California and Hawaii in fall 2017. He previously spent time as an area scout covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska.

“Jarren was recommended to me by some other Red Sox scouts at the time who said, ‘Hey, just keep an eye on this kid. He’s done well in the past.’ He instantly stood out to me as a kid who was athletic, physical and strong. And he competed in the box. Obviously you could tell once he started moving that he could really, really run.”

Horowitz praised the player development staff for “unleashing the athlete” in Duran.

“Credit to Mike Rikard and our scouting staff for selecting him,” Horowitz said. “And then credit to our player development staff for helping him make some small tweaks that I think really have helped him out. And then obviously credit most of all to Jarren who has been working really, really hard and proving a lot of people wrong, obviously including myself I would say.”

Baseball America has Duran ranked Boston’s No. 5 prospect entering 2021 behind Triston Casas, Jeter Downs, Bobby Dalbec and Bryan Mata. It has him listed as the system’s top outfield prospect and fastest baserunner. He has drawn comparisons to Jacoby Ellsbury and Grady Sizemore.

He stole 49 bases in college.

“It was rare because Jarren, even as strong and physical and muscular as he is now, he was then as well,” Horowitz said. “And I think sometimes it’s rare in baseball to see a kid who is so strong and physical and put together run that well. Oftentimes they’re smaller kids; a little bit leaner and twitchier. But he was a big, physical kid that could run with really explosive stride. Especially in college baseball, I thought that was pretty rare.”

This season marks Horowitz’s 10th year with the Red Sox.

“I always knew building a career in baseball was what I really wanted to do,” he said. “I didn’t know it would be scouting. And luckily enough, this has been the path that’s been laid out for me. And I absolutely love it. It’s awesome.”

Horowitz now serves as a special assistant in the amateur scouting department. He has served in the role since September 2020.

“More centralized to a little bit of everything from national scouting to staff development to a little bit of analytic research as well,” he said. “So I kind of do a little bit of everything on the amateur side now.”

Cora: ‘The future is bright’

Red Sox manager Alex Cora learned at spring training that the future is bright.

“I was just thinking the last three innings just watching those kids play, I think this organization is in a good spot,” Cora said after Tuesday’s Grapefruit League finale. “Nick (Yorke), Jeter (Downs), Jarren ... they played a lot, they grew a lot. And that’s what it’s all about. We did an amazing job with the big league club but I was able to be around these kids. (Triston) Casas. The future is bright. And we feel very good where we’re at.”

Boston Red Sox Opening Day roster: Will Matt Barnes, Garrett Richards be ready after quarantining? Can Eduardo Rodriguez avoid the IL?

Chris Cotillo

As of a week ago, the Red Sox didn’t seem to have many tough decisions to make when it came to their Opening Day roster. Yes, Alex Cora would need to make one or two decisions at the back of the bullpen and then maybe make a tough call on the final bench spot. But in general, almost all of the 26-man group was set.

Then, all hell broke loose. Eduardo Rodriguez was scratched from his scheduled Opening Day start after battling “dead arm.” Catcher Christian Vázquez was hit in the face with a ball during a practice drill and now has stitches that will be removed before Thursday’s game. And most notably, Matt Barnes’ positive COVID-19 test forced at least four pitchers who were projected to make the major-league roster into quarantine for a three-day period, only to have Major League Baseball clear them all Monday afternoon after Barnes’ test was ruled to be some sort of false positive.

Now, with two days to go before the Sox host the Orioles at Fenway Park, things are a bit more certain but there are still questions to be answered before the final group is submitted. Here’s what Cora and his coaching staff must figure out before first pitch Thursday afternoon.

Will Barnes and the others be ready after quarantining?

Four major-league pitchers -- Barnes, starter Garrett Richards and relievers Matt Andriese and Garrett Whitlock -- were held out of team activities for three straight days after Barnes’ positive test. Richards, Andriese and Whitlock were found to be close contacts and had to quarantine until being cleared Monday afternoon.

It’s unclear if the 72-hour hiatus will mean those pitchers won’t be ready for Opening Day, though early indications are that they likely will be. Cora made multiple mentions to the club being at “full strength” after the news broke Monday afternoon and it’s believed all four pitchers continued throwing, even while away from team activities. Richards, who was originally slated to start over the weekend against Baltimore, might be the most affected of the group and could be pushed back until early next week against the Rays.

The Red Sox have options here. They can easily place any or all of the affected pitchers on the COVID-19 injured list and activate them whenever they choose. That would create short-term opportunities for pitchers like Tanner Houck, Colten Brewer, Phillips Valdez and Marcus Walden while allowing the Red Sox some early-season flexibility. Players on the COVID-19 IL don’t count against the 40-man roster.

The guess here is that all four pitchers will be active, but the flexibility created by placing, say, Richards on the COVID-19 IL might be attractive, especially if he’s a few days behind.

What’s the status of Eduardo Rodriguez? Does that affect the rotation for the weekend?

Rodriguez threw his second bullpen in three days Monday morning and might avoid the injured list. If the Red Sox do place him on the IL, the earliest they could activate him would be April 8 -- the first road game of the season in Baltimore.

It’s clear the Red Sox aren’t going to push Rodriguez to pitch over the weekend, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed to the IL. Again, temporarily placing him on the IL would give the club more flexibility, especially considering how Tanner Houck -- who started Monday -- seemed to be in line to make a spot start Saturday afternoon. If that happens, Boston could easily have Houck make his season debut in the majors then option him to Worcester to make room for Rodriguez after a week.

This one, especially, is hard to predict. Cora has repeatedly pledged to be careful with Rodriguez, but an IL placement might be a little much.

Will Christian Vázquez be good to go?

Vázquez will undergo some more testing over the next couple days, but he said Monday that he feels there’s a “99% chance” he’ll be in the lineup Thursday. If he can’t play for whatever reason, Kevin Plawecki will become the starting catcher and the Red Sox will promote a catching prospect -- either Ronaldo Hernández or Connor Wong -- who is on the 40-man roster.

Barring a major surprise, Vázquez will be ready to go. This one should be an easy decision.

Franchy Cordero and Christian Arroyo are locks, so is Michael Chavis the odd man out? Will the Sox go with 13 pitchers or 14?

Outfielder Franchy Cordero, who is still on the COVID-19 injured list, will break camp with the team after progressing quickly after a late arrival to camp. Infielder Christian Arroyo is out of options, so he’ll make the team as a bench option. If the Red Sox go with 14 pitchers and 12 position players, as they’ve planned all spring, that likely means Michael Chavis will be optioned to start the year. He’ll likely be the first player called up if a position player is injured.

There’s still an outside chance Cora will opt for 13 pitchers and 13 position players, especially if one of the pitchers who quarantined isn’t ready. That would further open the door for Chavis to make the team.

“There’s a chance we can go 13 and 13, but it’s because of the situation the last three days,” Cora said Monday morning, before Barnes and the others were cleared. “For us, it makes sense going 12 and 14 but I think we can adjust for a few days, if needed. Especially with the off day on Friday. Obviously, Christian (Vázquez)’s situation is another one. We have to take a look at it. We’re in conversations right now. There’s a good chance, if we see that we need one more extra player, we’ll go 13 and 13. That’s going to be just for a few days if that’s the case.”

Who claims the final bullpen spot?

If Barnes, Andriese and Whitlock are good to go, the Red Sox have only one decision to make in the bullpen. Barnes, Andriese, Whitlock, Darwinzon Hernandez, Adam Ottavino, Hirokazu Sawamura, Josh Taylor are locks, and Austin Brice seems like he has earned a spot. That would mean it’s a two-horse race for the final spot between Colten Brewer and Phillips Valdez.

Neither Brewer (9.95 ERA in 6 ⅓ innings) nor Valdez (9.35 ERA in 8 ⅔ innings) has had a good spring, but both have prior major-league success. Brewer, who spent most of 2019 in the majors pitching for Cora, might have the upper hand due to his familiarity with the manager and his ability to pitch multiple innings. Valdez, who was acquired before the 2020 season, was one of Boston’s best and most consistent relievers for all of last year.

This one could go either way, but the guess here is Brewer wins out because he can give the Sox some length. Whoever loses the competition will simply be optioned and start the year in Worcester. There’s also the possibility that the Red Sox sign a free-agent reliever in the coming days. They’ve had talks with Héctor Rondón, Jesse Biddle and likely others.

Which other moves need to be made?

Even if everyone on the bubble is deemed ready, Boston will still need to make some roster moves before Thursday. Reliever Ryan Brasier (right pinkie fracture) will need to go on the 60-day injured list while Cordero needs to be activated. If none of the pitchers go on the COVID-19 IL, the Sox will need to clear a 40-man spot for Cordero by designating somebody for assignment (righty John Schreiber and outfielder Marcus Wilson are two candidates). Assuming 14 pitchers make it, Chavis will need to be optioned to Worcester.

If Rodriguez goes on the IL, Houck would likely be called up in his place. The loser of the Valdez/Brewer battle would make it if one of the relievers is ruled out, with Walden and McCarthy among the other options if multiple pitchers can’t go.

In the best-case scenario, the only players who would need to be sent out are Chavis and either Brewer or Valdez. If more guys are unavailable, Boston’s depth will be tested early in the season.

OPENING DAY ROSTER PROJECTION:

STARTERS (5): RHP Nathan Eovaldi, LHP Martín Pérez, RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Garrett Richards, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez

RELIEVERS (9): RHP Matt Andriese, RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Austin Brice, RHP Colten Brewer, LHP Darwinzon Hernandez, RHP Adam Ottavino, RHP Hirokazu Sawamura, LHP Josh Taylor, RHP Garrett Whitlock

CATCHERS (2): C Kevin Plawecki, C Christian Vázquez

INFIELDERS (4): INF Christian Arroyo, SS Xander Bogaerts, 1B Bobby Dalbec, 3B Rafael Devers

UTILITY PLAYERS (2): UTIL Kiké Herńandez, UTIL Marwin Gonzalez

OUTFIELDERS (4): OF Franchy Cordero, OF/DH J.D. Martinez, OF Hunter Renfroe, OF Alex Verdugo

INJURED LIST (2): RHP Ryan Brasier, LHP Chris Sale

Boston Red Sox sign Héctor Rondón to minor-league deal; veteran reliever has 3.49 ERA in 8 big- league seasons

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox are in agreement on a minor-league deal with veteran reliever Héctor Rondón, multiple sources confirmed Tuesday night. Rondón will earn $1 million if he reaches the majors, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Rondón, 33, asked for and was granted his release by the Phillies last week after failing to make their Opening Day roster. He’ll likely join the group of players working out at Boston’s alternate training site in Worcester and could factor into the major-league bullpen picture early in the season.

Rondón had a rough spring training, allowing seven earned runs in seven innings (7.71 ERA) while striking out eight batters. In 20 innings with the Diamondbacks last season, Rondón posted a 7.65 ERA and 1.800 WHIP but posted a high strikeout rate (10.8 K/9) and had his fastball average 95.7 mph.

Rondón has a long track record of big-league success, posting a 3.49 ERA and striking out 441 batters in 436 innings with the Cubs (2013-17), Astros (2018-19) and Diamondbacks (2020). In 2019, with Houston, he had a 3.71 ERA in 60 ⅔ innings but saw his strikeout rate (7.1 K/9) dip dramatically.

The Red Sox finalized their Opening Day bullpen Tuesday, choosing Phillips Valdez over Colten Brewer for the final spot in the nine-man group to open the season. Valdez, fellow righties Matt Andriese, Matt Barnes, Austin Brice, Adam Ottavino, Hirokazu Sawamura and Garrett Whitlock and left-handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor all made the team. Rondón will join Brewer, Kevin McCarthy, Marcus Walden and Eduard Bazardo as the top depth options in Worcester to start the year.

Rondón isn’t the only veteran reliever to sign with the Red Sox on Tuesday. Left-hander Tyler Olson agreed to a minor-league deal earlier in the day.

Boston Red Sox notebook: Michael Chavis upset about being optioned and Alex Cora likes that attitude; rotation set with Garrett Richards starting Sunday

Christopher Smith

Michael Chavis wasn’t happy when the Red Sox optioned him to the alternate training. But manager Alex Cora views that in a positive way. He likes Chavis having that type of attitude.

Chavis will begin the 2021 season in Worcester. The Red Sox chose Christian Arroyo for the final position player roster spot.

“There’s a lot of circumstances that go into the decision but one thing we like about Christian, he can play shortstop,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Michael, he made some strides. And I’m glad he was upset because that’s part of it. Nobody’s happy when they send you down. But we talk about a few things that he needs to do to be the complete hitter we know he can be. I think at the end, he didn’t control the strike zone. He was very aggressive chasing pitches out of the zone.”

Chavis went 13-for-43 (.302) with a .362 on-base percentage, .767 slugging percentage, 1.129 OPS, six home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs, nine runs, two walks and 12 strikeouts in his first 18 games of spring training.

But he went just 2-for-17 with eight strikeouts in his final seven games.

“Now with his swing, knowing that he knows boundaries of the strike zone up, now we have to make sure, ‘Hey, we can drive pitches in the zone,’” Cora said. “So he’ll work on that. And I’ve been saying all along, it takes more than 26 guys to win this thing. Because you’re on the Opening Day roster, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be here the whole season. There’s circumstances and injuries and other stuff, especially nowadays. ... He needs to be ready. Not only him. All those kids down there.”

Cora announces upcoming pitching schedule

Thursday vs. Orioles: Nathan Eovaldi

Saturday vs. Orioles: TBD

Sunday vs. Orioles: Garrett Richards

Monday vs. Rays: Nick Pivetta

Tuesday vs. Rays: Martín Pérez

Eduardo Rodriguez (dead arm) likely will begin the season on the IL. He will travel to Boston with the team Tuesday.

Tanner Houck is a strong candidate to start Saturday against the Orioles.

Brasier has Grade 2 calf strain

Reliever Ryan Brasier’s MRI revealed that he has a Grade 2 calf strain.

He strained it while fielding a ground ball during the B-game Monday. He underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning.

Heading to Boston

Red Sox players both on the 26-man roster and those who will be at the alternate training site will head to Boston on the same plane Tuesday. Red Sox Opening Day is Thursday at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles.

Cora will be vaccinated

MLB and the players union sent a memo to teams telling them that COVID protocols will be relaxed if 85% of the league is vaccinated, per the Associated Press.

“From my end, whenever I get the chance, I’ll do it,” Cora said. “That’s my personal decision so that’s what I’m going to do. My family, already, we talked about it. Whenever we have the chance, we’ll do it. It’s everybody’s decision and we’re going to respect that. Obviously we’re going to respect the protocols and the guidelines on everything that comes with it. Each state is different. Each organization, it seems like they’re doing different things, right?

“We got the memo. We understand. I think the players’ association sent it a few days ago. The players understand where they’re at. We’ll respect whatever decision they make about vaccination.”

Opening Day memories

Cora was asked about the first time he ever played in an Opening Day game. He couldn’t remember it all.

A look back at the box score reveals he went 1-for-3 in Los Angeles’ 1-0 win over the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on April 2, 2001.

His favorite Opening Day memory? His first game as Red Sox manager, against the Rays in St. Petersburg. He said he was changing his twin boys’ diapers before games.

“You got back to ‘18 when I was changing diapers at The Vinoy, before my first big league managing game, and I love that memory because it is what life is all about. I will always remember at the end of the day, I have to change diapers, although they’re potty trained (now). They’re ready to go now so we’re in a good spot. Yeah, if you need a humble pie or a humble experience, think about changing diapers.”

Barnes talks UConn women’s basketball

UConn alum Matt Barnes isn’t surprised the Huskies women’s basketball made another Final Four.

“Aren’t they there every year?” he said. “It’s awesome. What they’re doing is great. They’re always competing for a championship. They’re always in the Final Four. The sustained dominance in their sport is uncanny and frankly, probably, unmatched. So it’s always awesome to see.”

Boston Red Sox’s Matt Barnes: ‘I didn’t go anywhere in spring training (before COVID) anyways let alone when we have a global pandemic’

Christopher Smith

Matt Barnes has taken approximately eight COVID tests since testing positive during the middle of last week.

“PCR, rapid, you name it and they were all negative,” Barnes said Tuesday morning.

Barnes and eight other members of the organization in contact with him initially began quarantining Saturday. But Barnes and everyone else were cleared to return Monday. Barnes said he will be ready for Opening Day on Thursday at Fenway Park.

His test result was either a false positive or a “non-infectious positive.” Barnes doesn’t care how it is described — as long as he is able to pitch.

“I haven’t really talked to them about that,” he said. “I can tell you when I showed up to camp, my antibodies test showed that I did not have them. I don’t know. I’m not a medical expert and frankly, I don’t care how it’s labeled. The only thing that matters to me is I’ve got negatives, I’m back with the team and ready to go now.”

Barnes was surprised when he received the initial positive result.

“Being the (Red Sox) union rep, I was one of the people who helped kind of build these protocols ... or kind of help sign off on these protocols for everybody,” Barnes said. “So I know them very well. Before we had COVID back in 2018, 2019, I didn’t go anywhere in spring training anyways let alone when we have a global pandemic. It was crazy to me. When I found out on Saturday morning, I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ I just haven’t gone anywhere. I went to the grocery store for 30 minutes and that was it. Other than that, it was the field and my house. And I felt completely fine. So it didn’t feel right but at the same time, all the necessary protocols need to be taken just in case.”

Eight other members of the organization had to quarantine because they were in contact with Barnes. Four were considered “close contacts” and four were considered “extra scrutiny contacts.”

Barnes said he was beating himself up over how it affected the others.

“One in specific (Garrett) Whitlock, I was like, ‘Man this is going to be first one (Opening Day). Imagine if he missed it because I was an idiot? But I didn’t do anything. So I’m sitting there kind of wrestling with those two things. And I can tell you, I’m super relieved. I’m super happy that it was just a misunderstanding and that we’re good to go. We’ll be at full strength and we’ll have everybody ready to go for Thursday.”

Boston Red Sox rotation: Tanner Houck might make spot start Saturday, Garrett Richards appears good to go after quarantining

Chris Cotillo

With Garrett Richards having rejoined the team after clearing COVID-19 contact tracing protocols and Eduardo Rodriguez likely to be placed on the injured list, it’s becoming clear how the Red Sox will line up their rotation for the opening homestand of the 2021 season.

Officially, righty Nathan Eovaldi is the only starter who has been penciled in, as he will start Thursday’s Opening Day matchup against the Orioles in place of Rodriguez. Beyond that, Boston has had to re-shuffle its starting five and has not named any pitchers for the remaining five games against Baltimore and Tampa Bay.

Though manager Alex Cora said Saturday’s starter is still “to be determined,” righty Tanner Houck is lined up to pitch that day, which would come five days after his 4-⅓ inning spring outing Monday. Cora said Nick Pivetta will pitch either Saturday or Sunday, Richards will start Sunday or Monday and lefty Martin Pérez -- who is starting Tuesday’s spring finale -- will most likely debut Tuesday night against the Rays.

Reading between the lines, it looks like Houck will start Saturday against Baltimore with Pivetta making his season debut Sunday. When the Rays come into town, they’ll likely see Richards on Monday, Pérez on Tuesday and Eovaldi on Wednesday afternoon. If Rodriguez is ready, he can be activated on April 8 -- the date of Boston’s road opener in Baltimore -- and take Houck’s spot in the rotation. Of course, with so much in flux, everything is subject to change. (UPDATE: Richards will pitch Sunday and Pivetta will go Monday, Cora announced after Tuesday’s spring finale.)

Eovaldi, Pivetta, Pérez and Houck have stayed built up in recent days, with Richards serving as the wild card of the group. Richards was deemed to be a close contact of Matt Barnes, who had either a false or “non-infectious” positive test for COVID-19, and had to stay away from the Red Sox for a few days before working out at Fenway South on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ll talk to him today,” Cora said. “He did an up-and-down yesterday late. It was actually three up-and- down innings. We’ll talk to him today. There’s a chance he’ll pitch Sunday or Monday. We’ll decide how he feels. We’re not going to push him. He’ll let us know how he feels and we’ll go from here.”

The Red Sox are not planning on having any bullpen games early in the season, Cora said, and they view Matt Andriese as a reliever. Garrett Whitlock, who like Andriese and Richards was in contact tracing, is a candidate for spot starts later in the year but will begin his major-league career as a reliever.

RED SOX ROTATION (subject to change):

Thursday -- vs. Orioles -- RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Friday -- OFF

Saturday -- vs. Orioles -- TBD (likely RHP Tanner Houck)

Sunday -- vs. Orioles -- RHP Garrett Richards

Monday -- vs. Rays -- RHP Nick Pivetta

Tuesday -- vs. Rays -- LHP Martín Pérez

Wednesday -- vs. Rays -- RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Boston Red Sox sign Tyler Olson to minor-league deal; lefty reliever made 124 appearances for Cleveland from 2017-19

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox made a move to bolster their bullpen depth Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a minor-league contract with left-handed reliever Tyler Olson, according to a source. Olson’s agents at Ball Players Agency first broke the news on Twitter.

Olson will first report to minor-league spring training in Fort Myers instead of the club’s alternate training site in Worcester.

Olson, 31, has made 124 career major-league appearances over five years with the Mariners (2015), Yankees (2016) and Indians (2017-19), serving as a key part of Cleveland’s bullpen during that three-year stretch. The Gonzaga alum tossed 20 scoreless innings in 2017 and made Cleveland’s ALDS roster that year; he owns a career 3.83 ERA and posted a 3.46 mark in 112 appearances between 2017 and 2019. Olson posted a 13.2 K/9 rate in 2018 and averages nine strikeouts per nine innings for his career.

Olson signed with the Cubs as a minor-league free agent last January but never appeared in a game for Chicago and went the entirety of the winter without signing a deal. He projects as a Triple-A option once he builds up in Fort Myers and will likely pitch in Worcester once he’s ready.

The Red Sox have two lefties -- Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor -- in their major-league bullpen, with Matt Hall and Stephen Gonsalves in waiting in Worcester. In Olson, the club gets an experienced arm who would likely be able to step in if someone was injured.

In the final days of spring training, the Red Sox are actively searching the open market for relief help. The club has engaged in talks with Héctor Rondón, Jesse Biddle and potentially others in recent days, according to league sources.

Boston Red Sox moves: Michael Chavis sent down to Worcester, Phillips Valdez makes Opening Day roster over Colten Brewer

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox took some steps toward finalizing their Opening Day roster Tuesday morning, announcing some moves before departing for Boston this evening.

Boston activated outfielder Franchy Cordero from the COVID-19 injured list, designated reliever John Schreiber for assignment and optioned infielder Michael Chavis and Colten Brewer to the club’s alternate training site in Worcester. Barring a surprise, both infielder Christian Arroyo and reliever Phillips Valdez will make the Opening Day roster.

Here’s what all the moves mean:

Chavis goes down

The Chavis move is the most notable of these, as the former first-round pick has played his last 137 games in the majors after being called up in April 2019. He had a great spring (.892 OPS, six homers in 25 games) but was always facing an uphill battle against Arroyo, who is out of options and therefore can’t be freely optioned to the minors.

Despite Chavis looking strong in camp, the Red Sox clearly believe additional time in the minors will be good for his progression as he looks to close a couple swing holes and improve defensively at second base and the corner spots. After a miserable 2020 (.212 average, .636 OPS in 42 games), Chavis fell down the depth chart and will now -- along with infielder/outfielder Danny Santana (once healthy) -- will be Boston’s top two positional depth options at the alternate site.

Arroyo will claim a bench spot alongside backup catcher Kevin Plawecki and whichever outfielder is not starting on a given night.

Valdez in, Brewer out

Valdez, one of Boston’s most consistent relievers last year (3.26 ERA in 30 ⅓ innings), won the final bullpen spot over Brewer, who has been with the team since 2019. Neither Brewer (9.95 ERA in 6 ⅓ innings) nor Valdez (9.35 ERA in 8 ⅔ innings) had a good spring training, but the Red Sox needed an an extra arm with Ryan Brasier (right pinkie fracture and left calf strain) beginning the year on the IL.

In this spot, Valdez and Brewer will be easily interchangeable, as both can be optioned to and from Worcester as the Red Sox choose. Brewer (4.59 ERA in 80 ⅓ innings in two seasons with Boston) will likely be one of the first relievers called up if Boston needs a relief arm. Eduard Bazardo and non-roster pitchers Kevin McCarthy and Marcus Walden will be in Worcester as depth.

Cordero activated, Schreiber DFA

Cordero was a late arrival to spring training after testing positive for COVID-19, and new league rules stipulate that teams can keep players on the COVID-19 IL until they’re back at full strength. Because Cordero was deemed ready to make the Opening Day roster, he needed to be activated by Thursday.

Players on the COVID-19 IL don’t count against a club’s 40-man roster, so the Red Sox needed to clear a spot to activate Cordero. The casualty was Schreiber, a 27-year-old reliever Boston claimed off waivers from Detroit on Feb. 18. The Red Sox will now have seven days to trade, release or waive the righty.

What’s next?

The Red Sox will likely make a couple more moves before Thursday’s opener. First, Brasier will be placed on the injured list. The club also seems exceedingly likely to place Eduardo Rodriguez (arm fatigue) on the IL and call up Tanner Houck, who was optioned to the alternate site earlier in the month. Barring a last- minute surprise, those will be the final moves before the roster is set.

Projected roster

STARTERS (5): RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Tanner Houck, LHP Martín Pérez, RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Garrett Richards

RELIEVERS (9): RHP Matt Andriese, RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Austin Brice, LHP Darwinzon Hernandez, RHP Adam Ottavino, RHP Hirokazu Sawamura, LHP Josh Taylor, RHP Phillips Valdez, RHP Garrett Whitlock

CATCHERS (2): C Kevin Plawecki, C Christian Vázquez

INFIELDERS (4): INF Christian Arroyo, SS Xander Bogaerts, 1B Bobby Dalbec, 3B Rafael Devers

UTILITY PLAYERS (2): UTIL Kiké Herńandez, UTIL Marwin Gonzalez

OUTFIELDERS (4): OF Franchy Cordero, OF/DH J.D. Martinez, OF Hunter Renfroe, OF Alex Verdugo

***

INJURED LIST (3): RHP Ryan Brasier, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP Chris Sale

Boston Red Sox likely to place Eduardo Rodriguez on injured list to start season: ‘We have to be very careful with him’

Chris Cotillo

Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez is likely to start the season on the injured list, manager Alex Cora said Tuesday morning. Rodriguez was scratched from his scheduled Opening Day start after battling arm fatigue in a start against the Rays last Monday.

“There’s a pretty good chance,” Cora said when asked if Rodriguez would be sidelined to start the year. “We’re just running out of time and you’ve got to go through the progression with him. We’re not going to cut a few things just to have him. He might say all the right things, but there’s other stuff he has to do to prove to us that he feels great. It’s not that we don’t trust him but we have to be very careful with him.”

The Red Sox pulled Rodriguez after just two innings last Monday against Tampa Bay after the left-hander complained of “dead arm” and had him finish his outing in the bullpen at Charlotte Sports Park. He hasn’t faced hitters since, instead throwing bullpen sessions in Fort Myers on both Saturday and Monday.

Both of those bullpens went well, but the Red Sox were always going to be cautious with Rodriguez, who missed the entire 2020 season after contracting myocarditis following a bout with COVID-19. Assuming his IL stint is backdated the league-maximum three days, Rodriguez could be activated as early as April 8, the date of Boston’s first road game of the season in Baltimore.

“He threw the bullpen (Monday),” Cora said. “He just showed up. Let’s see where we’re at. But like I said, it seems like he’s running out of time to be with us early. I’m not talking about that we’re going to lose him for a while, but we have to be careful with him. We’ll talk about it today and see where we’ll go with that.”

With Rodriguez sidelined, it appears the Red Sox will turn to rookie righty Tanner Houck for a spot start Saturday afternoon against the Orioles. Houck’s stay in the majors is expected to be a short one, as Rodriguez could rejoin the rotation the second time through.

“If we make a decision with Eddie, it’s something that’s a short-term thing,” Cora said.

Other than Rodriguez, the Red Sox are expected to be at full strength in the rotation as the season begins. Garrett Richards, who had to quarantine for a couple of days after being deemed a close contact to Matt Barnes, is expected to be ready by the weekend. Nathan Eovaldi will start Opening Day and both Nick Pivetta Martín Pérez will be ready to go for the start of the year.

Barnes, Richards and at least two other pitchers (Matt Andriese and Garrett Whitlock) were cleared to rejoin the team Monday afternoon after it was deemed Barnes’ positive test was either a false or “non- infectious” positive. Cora expects the Red Sox to have all of those pitchers back by Thursday.

“We’re getting all the boys back today,” he said. “One thing for sure, we’ve got to know where they’re at. I think the relievers, just a few days off, quote-unquote, that’s not going to bother them. They’re going to be ready for Thursday. As far as the rotation, we’ve got to see where they’re at as far as work. Yesterday, after everything went down, some of them came in and threw. We’ll wait on them to come in and we’ll make decisions.”

Ryan Brasier injury: Boston Red Sox reliever strains calf, undergoing an MRI; ‘It doesn’t look too promising’

Christopher Smith

Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier strained his left calf while fielding a ground ball during the B-game Monday.

He was scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday (today) at 10 a.m.

Brasier was expected to begin the regular season on the injured list anyway after dealing with a right pinkie fracture this past offseason. Brasier also was behind after leaving camp for a personal reason in February.

“We’ll know more in the upcoming days,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “But it doesn’t look too promising. He thought it was a cramp early on but obviously at night he felt worse. He’s on crutches. So he’ll have his MRI at 10 o’clock and we’ll go from there.”

Brasier is expected to be an important late-inning reliever at some point this season.

Matt Barnes — who has been cleared after a non-infectious COVID test — said he will be ready for Opening Day on Thursday. The Red Sox also have Adam Ottavino late in games.

Either Barnes or Ottavino will close. Cora has yet to decide.

Others, including Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor, will need to step up in Brasier’s absence.

The Red Sox also are looking outside the organization for bullpen help. They have had talks with Héctor Rondón, a veteran reliever who opted out of his Phillies deal last week, our Chris Cotillo reported.

Cora said the team has decided on which relievers will begin the season on the 26-man roster. Colten Brewer was optioned to the alternate site Wednesday.

“We talked about it yesterday and everybody agreed who we’re going with,” Cora said. “And in the end, like I’ve been saying it all along, I said it in ‘18, ‘19, it takes more than 26 guys to win a World Series. Whoever goes to Triple A or the alternate site, they’re going to have to contribute throughout the season. That’s the most important thing.”

Rafael Devers gives Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale his ‘best birthday gift today,’ Alex Cora says

Christopher Smith

Red Sox ace Chris Sale turned 32 today (Tuesday) and slugger Rafael Devers delivered him a message.

“Raffy Devers’ English is getting muy bueno. I’m telling you,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “This morning, he goes, ‘Happy Birthday, Chris Sale.’ And Sale had this smile like it was great. It was great. And then Raffy goes, ‘I’ve been working on my second language.’ And Chris just died. It was amazing. So I think that was his best birthday gift today.”

A close second for birthday gifts? Sale will travel with the team to Boston later today. He will continue his rehab in Boston instead of Fort Myers.

Sale underwent Tommy John surgery one year ago today.

“To have him around is amazing,” Cora said. “It’s a year from the surgery. And for him to go with the team, be up there, he’s a leader. He’s been in meetings. He’s been in bullpens. He’s going through his progression. And he feels great about where he’s at. Not perfect, obviously. But for him being around us, it means a lot. And I know it means a lot to him.”

The goal remains for Sale to pitch in games in 2021. If he does, it presumably won’t be until at least early August. The Red Sox, however, have not set a timetable for his return.

“I would hope so,” pitching coach Dave Bush said March 24 about Sale pitching in 2021. “I don’t know exactly what time he’s going to be (ready). I haven’t mapped it out that far ahead. The trainers probably have a better handle on that than I do. But we can map out Tommy John recovering and it’s never going to follow the plan you lay out. But yes, the goal is to get him back sometime this year. I don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like or when, but that’s the goal right now.”

* RedSox.com

Red Sox's OD roster comes into focus

Ian Browne

The Red Sox answered most of their Opening Day roster questions Tuesday morning when they activated Franchy Cordero from the COVID-19 injured list while optioning infielder Michael Chavis and reliever Colten Brewer to the alternate training site in Worcester, Mass.

Cordero made up for lost time earlier in camp by getting a bulk of at-bats and innings in left field in recent days.

That left Chavis or Christian Arroyo up for the final spot on the bench.

Chavis, once Boston’s No. 1 prospect and a semi-regular in the lineup the last two seasons, had a strong Spring Training, belting six homers in 60 at-bats. However, Arroyo, who doesn’t have options, had a good camp of his own, hitting three homers while displaying solid defense all over the infield.

The lone remaining question is whether lefty ace Eduardo Rodriguez -- already ruled out for Opening Day - - will start the season on the injured list. The expectation is that he will. If that is the case, it is all but certain No. 7 prospect Tanner Houck will be recalled to fill in for him, at least for the first turn through the rotation.

Though the Red Sox don’t have to finalize their roster until Thursday at noon ET, here is a look at the 26 players most likely to be active participants for Opening Day.

Catcher (2): Christian Vázquez, Kevin Plawecki

Vázquez had a late-spring scare when he was belted under the left eye by a throw during a team drill, suffering a laceration and a contusion. But everything has been trending upward, and the veteran catcher thinks he will be ready to go for Thursday’s 2:10 p.m. ET opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park. The Red Sox like what they have in Vázquez offensively, defensively and from a leadership perspective. In Plawecki, Boston has a solid veteran backup, particularly on defense. It will be interesting to see if he can hit as well as he did last year over a full season.

First base (1): Bobby Dalbec

Not only has Dalbec cemented his spot as the first baseman on Opening Day, but he looks like an American League Rookie of the Year Award candidate. The right-handed-hitting slugger belted seven homers in Spring Training, including two grand slams. Sure, he is strikeout-prone. But the Red Sox will take the K’s if they are accompanied by 30-plus homers. Boston is confident that the natural third baseman will make a smooth adjustment at first base.

Second base (1): Kiké Hernández

After three years of instability at second base, the Red Sox think they've finally replaced Dustin Pedroia with the free-agent signing of Hernández. Before Spring Training even started, Hernández told manager Alex Cora he wanted to be the team’s leadoff hitter, and he rose to that challenge with a strong camp. There are times that Hernández will start in center field and then move to second base for the late innings.

Shortstop (1): Xander Bogaerts Bogaerts started Spring Training with concern over right shoulder soreness that he developed in the offseason. But the team’s veteran leader is completely over the issue and should again be a rock at shortstop and in the batting order. This is his seventh full season in Boston and most consider him to be the team leader.

Third base (1): Rafael Devers

This is a big year for Devers. Is he the star-in-the-making he played like two years ago or the inconsistent player (on both sides of the ball) that he was last season? With Cora back as manager, the expectation is that he will again find a way to get the most out of Devers. The final missing piece for Devers at the plate is to control the strike zone more. It’s a bit of a tricky situation because the lefty slugger is one of the best bad-ball hitters in the game. But there are also times he gets himself out by whiffing at pitches in the dirt.

Utility (2): Marwin Gonzalez, Arroyo

Versatility. Cora loves it and spoke about it all spring. And that’s the reason Gonzalez and Arroyo are his two rovers on the bench. Gonzalez will play everywhere but catcher and center field. Arroyo plays second, short and third at an above-average level. He has also made some strides with his offensive approach that could pay dividends.

Outfield (3): Cordero, Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe

Give Cordero credit: The Red Sox seemed skeptical he would be ready in time for Opening Day after missing the first couple of weeks of camp, but he worked hard each day once he was cleared and is good to go. Just don’t expect to see him in the starting lineup on Opening Day with lefty John Means pitching for the Orioles. Cora has been doing a lot of mixing and matching with Verdugo in center and right, so it’s hard to know which direction he is going. It could depend on which ballpark the Red Sox are at on a given day. There could also be times when Verdugo plays left, with Hernández in center and Renfroe in right.

Designated hitter (1): J.D. Martinez

After a poor 2020 season, Martinez vowed that he would go back to the lab and fix what ailed him, and there's no reason to think that he won't, especially now that players can review video of their at-bats in- game again. When everything is going right, Martinez is an elite power hitter. Traditionally, Martinez hasn’t been one to waste good stats in Spring Training. That was again true this spring, though it was a good sign to see him go deep for the first time on Monday.

Starting pitchers (5): Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Richards, Martín Pérez, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck

There are two big names missing here: Chris Sale and Rodriguez. While Sale’s absence will extend months, not weeks, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the expectation is that he will return at some point this season. Rodriguez shouldn’t be out long at all -- maybe a turn or two through the rotation. The team is just taking precautions due to the “dead arm” he experienced in his Grapefruit League start on March 22. After not pitching at all in 2020 due to myocarditis, Rodriguez is pumped to lead the staff again once he is activated.

Eovaldi has always had great stuff, but he’s still trying to have better command of his entire arsenal. The same can be said for Richards, a free-agent acquisition over the winter. Last year, the Red Sox unfairly needed Pérez to be their No. 2 starter. He will be in a role he is better suited for this season -- the fourth or fifth spot. The Sox just want him to keep them in games, which he did a nice job of last season.

Pivetta is the unknown, but the Red Sox are optimistic about the strides he’s made since he was traded from the Phillies last August. Houck, who dominated in three starts at the end of last season (3-0, 0.53 ERA) is a nice temporary fill-in for Rodriguez. The Sox feel far better about the depth of their rotation than they did last year.

Relievers (9): Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino, Hirokazu Sawamura, Darwinzon Hernandez, Josh Taylor, Matt Andriese, Garrett Whitlock, Austin Brice, Phillips Valdez

Cora hoped to have the closer’s role settled before the end of Spring Training, but there was a bump in the road when Barnes had to be quarantined for two days after testing positive for COVID-19 last weekend. Barnes kept testing negative after that and MLB’s COVID Committee ruled that he had a non-infectious case of the virus, clearing him to return to action. It will either be Barnes or Ottavino, two established veterans, pitching the ninth inning for Cora. Whichever one isn’t the closer will be the lead setup man.

Ryan Brasier started camp recovering from a fractured right pinkie finger, and at the end of camp, he suffered a left calf strain. Either way, he was going to open the season on the injured list, but now he’ll be out longer. With the righty out, others will have to step up in the seventh inning. The great unknown is Sawamura and how effective he might be after spending his entire career in Japan. One thing Sawamura struggled with in camp was commanding his splitter. That will need to change if he is going be the weapon the Red Sox are banking on.

In a feel-good story, Rule 5 Draft pick Whitlock -- who had Tommy John surgery two years ago while with the Yankees -- cemented his spot with a stellar spring. Andriese should be invaluable as a long and middle man, as well as a potential starter. Hernandez and Taylor were slowed by COVID-19 last year, but both should re-emerge as important lefties in Cora's bullpen.

Notes: Barnes 'relieved' to get cleared

Ian Browne

Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes was stunned to learn that his COVID-19 PCR test taken on Thursday came back positive.

Barnes was far less stunned when, two days into his quarantine, he was cleared to return to action with his test being ruled a non-infectious positive.

“Being the union rep, I was one of the people who helped build these protocols, if you will, or helped sign off on these protocols for everybody, so I know them very well,” said Barnes. “I can tell you even before we had COVID in 2018 or 2019, I didn't go anywhere in Spring Training anyways, let alone when we have a global pandemic.

“It was crazy to me when I found out on Saturday morning, I was like, 'There's no way, I haven't gone anywhere.' I went to the grocery store for 30 minutes and that was it. Other than that, it was the field and my house. And I felt completely fine.”

Barnes estimates that he tested negative as many as eight times with either PCR or rapid tests over the last week. He confirmed it was just the one test that registered as a positive.

Though he was frustrated, Barnes handled his case with patience and dutifully quarantined on his couch over the weekend -- likely glued to March Madness -- until he was told he could return to the Fenway South facilities on Monday afternoon.

“Very relieved,” said Barnes. “You've been putting the work in the entire offseason and all Spring Training and getting to the point where you're ready to go for the season and something like that happens. The medical staff did a great job of staying in contact with me, following the protocols -- obviously you've got to follow the protocols in situations like that -- and they did a fantastic job. We were able to get enough negative tests to come back. I’m definitely excited.”

Future is bright

One of the things that struck Red Sox manager Alex Cora as he watched the final few innings of Spring Training on Tuesday is how bright a future Boston has. This came as he got to watch some of the team’s top prospects (Triston Casas, Jeter Downs, Jarren Duran and Nick Yorke) in action one last time.

“I was just thinking the last three innings, watching those kids play, this organization is in a good spot,” Cora said. “Playing Nick, Jeter, Jarren -- they just go out there and play. They played a lot. They grew a lot. That’s why I feel that we did an amazing job with the big league club, but I was [also] able to be around those kids -- Casas. The future is bright. We feel very good where we’re at.

“It’s very impressive to see all this stuff. It was fun. All the positive things that we did in the spring, just to be around those kids and to see the potential, that was really good. That was refreshing.”

Duran is the prospect closest to reaching the Majors. The center fielder capped his solid spring by going deep in the bottom of the seventh inning in Boston’s 5-3 loss to the Braves. In Grapefruit League action, Duran slashed .340/.367/.702 with six doubles, one triple and three homers.

Rotation updated

At last, Cora had some news regarding how his rotation will line up behind Nathan Eovaldi to start the season. The Red Sox are listing the second game of the season on Saturday as TBD.

However, it seems likely the club will call up No. 7 prospect Tanner Houck to make that start in the spot vacated by ace Eduardo Rodriguez, who is expected to miss minimal time at the start of the season due to arm fatigue.

Free-agent acquisition Garrett Richards will close out the opening series of the season against the Orioles on Easter Sunday. Righty Nick Pivetta and lefty Martín Pérez will start the first two games of the three- game series against the Rays that begins on Monday.

Closing case still open

At the beginning of Spring Training, Cora said he would name a closer before the team flew to Boston. That wound up not being the case, likely because of the brief uncertainty Barnes dealt with recently.

The closer will be either Barnes or Adam Ottavino. Both are veterans entering their final season before free agency.

“I haven’t talked to the guys. Somebody will get three outs on Thursday. But I’ll talk to them maybe on the flight, maybe tomorrow, whatever,” said Cora. “But like I said, we’re very comfortable with both of them. I think they’re going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish, be it the eighth or ninth. Whatever it is, they have to do the job. They know it. So I’ll talk to them.”

Closing thought

Cora is ready to see his team take the field in games that count.

“We're ready,” Cora said. “We’re ready to play baseball. We have a good baseball team, we do. And obviously we got to go out there and perform. I do believe we did an amazing job in Spring Training. The guys, they bought into the concept of running the bases well and playing good defense and all the stuff that we taught from November until now. We will keep talking about it. But to put it in an easy way, we have a good baseball team.”

Opening Day FAQ: Orioles vs. Red Sox

Ian Browne

There will be much more of a buzz in the air -- and in the stands -- when the Orioles and the Red Sox face off on Opening Day at Fenway Park on Thursday for the second consecutive season.

Last year, the meeting took place on July 24, and it was the start of a season shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no fans in the stands.

This time around, the longtime American League East foes are gearing up for the start of a traditional 162- game season.

And for the first time since the last game of the 2019 season, there will be fans at Fenway Park. Per Massachusetts regulations, Fenway will allow 12 percent capacity, which means roughly 4,500 will be in the stands as the '21 season starts anew.

Led by manager Alex Cora, who returns after a one-year suspension, the Red Sox are determined to get back into the playoff hunt after a disappointing 24-36 season in 2020, which left them in last place in the AL East.

“Obviously we made a lot of new changes and have a lot of new faces,” said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. “AC came back as a manager. The pitching has been getting better and we have a lot of big arms in the bullpen. And, obviously, we traded for some guys with experience and signed some guys also. So this year we're looking much better than we did last year -- that’s for sure.”

As for the Orioles, they are hoping to take another step in their rebuilding program, but they will be buoyed by the return of veteran Trey Mancini, who missed all of last season recovering from Stage 3 colon cancer.

“I'm very proud of where I am right now. Feeling like myself and feeling great is something I am very appreciative of and don’t take for granted at all,” Mancini said. “I’m hoping to take a lot of that perspective into this year. I really think I’m going to appreciate -- not that I didn’t before -- but I will really appreciate being able to play Major League baseball every single day.”

When is the game and how can I watch it? First pitch at Fenway Park on Thursday is set for 2:10 p.m. ET. Red Sox fans can watch the game locally on NESN and listen on all the affiliates on the WEEI radio network, including flagship 93.7 FM in Boston. Orioles fans can tune in on MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) and on Orioles Radio Network. Out-of- market fans can watch on MLB.TV.

The starting lineups

Orioles: Mancini is slated to be in the lineup for what is sure to be an emotional day. He is back without restriction as the Orioles' everyday first baseman and top hitter. Free-agent signings Maikel Franco and Freddy Galvis will make their team debuts at third base and shortstop, and Pat Valaika will slide in at second base after the late-spring decision to part ways with Yolmer Sánchez. Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle anchor what should be an exciting O’s outfield, after Santander broke out in 2020 and Mountcastle enjoyed a nice debut, positioning himself as an AL Rookie of the Year Award candidate in '21.

Projected lineup

1. Cedric Mullins, CF 2. Trey Mancini, 1B 3. Anthony Santander, RF 4. Ryan Mountcastle, LF 5. Maikel Franco, 3B 6. Austin Hays, DH 7. Freddy Galvis, SS 8. Pedro Severino, C 9. Pat Valaika, 2B

Red Sox: There might be questions about their pitching staff, but the Red Sox plan on pounding the baseball with a lineup that is deep from top to bottom. Alex Verdugo, a rare bright spot amid last year’s disappointment, is looking forward to playing in front of Boston fans for the first time. Top rebound candidate J.D. Martinez looks to join Bogaerts and Rafael Devers for what could be a fearsome middle of the order. New faces like Kiké Hernández, Hunter Renfroe and Franchy Cordero will help round out what should be one of the best offenses in MLB.

Projected lineup

1. Kiké Hernández, 2B 2. Alex Verdugo, CF 3. J.D. Martinez, DH 4. Xander Bogaerts, SS 5. Rafael Devers, 3B 6. Hunter Renfroe, RF 7. Christian Vázquez, C 8. Marwin Gonzalez, LF 9. Bobby Dalbec, 1B

Who are the starting pitchers? Orioles: Lefty John Means was supposed to start Opening Day 2020, but he missed the assignment to a bout of left arm fatigue. The '19 All-Star faces no such hurdle this time around after going 2-4 with a 4.53 ERA in 10 starts last season. Means was an All-Star the summer prior, going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA and placing second in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He’s improved his stuff mightily since then, with a fastball that now lives in the mid-90s with elite spin, two distinct breaking balls and a changeup he can throw in any count.

Red Sox: Hard-throwing righty Nathan Eovaldi will step in for ace Eduardo Rodriguez on Opening Day for the second straight year. Rodriguez had "dead arm" in his final start of Spring Training, but he isn’t expected to be out for long. Eovaldi hopes to perform as well as he did in last year’s opener, when he held Baltimore to five hits and one run over six solid innings. In fact, Eovaldi has traditionally fared well against the O’s, going 6-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 career starts.

How will the bullpens line up after the starters? Orioles: The O's will want length from Means every time he takes the mound, given their depth issues and the need for innings coming off the shortened 2020 season. All their young pitchers will be on workload restrictions, and the bullpen still has few defined roles (since his managerial tenure began in '19, Brandon Hyde is yet to name a closer). Hard-throwing lefty Tanner Scott profiles as the highest-leverage reliever with Hunter Harvey (oblique) sidelined; look for Paul Fry and Shawn Armstrong to be asked to get big outs, too, whether its in the middle innings or late in games. The Orioles plan to turn over their pitching again and again in search of innings this year; as of Opening Day, the top feature of this nine-man ‘pen is its ability to eat them in bulk. It includes at least three long man/bulk-innings types, with César Valdez, Wade LeBlanc and Adam Plutko all capable of providing length.

Red Sox: Cora’s two high-leverage relievers are veteran righties Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino, the latter of whom was acquired in an offseason trade with the rival Yankees. With reliever Ryan Brasier out of the early-season mix due to a fractured right pinkie that slowed him in Spring Training, Cora will need power lefty Darwinzon Hernandez to step up in the seventh inning. Japanese rookie righty Hirokazu Sawamura will be another important weapon, though he needs to rediscover the split that made him such a force for the Chiba Lotte Marines last season. For length, Cora will call on veteran Matt Andriese and rookie Garrett Whitlock.

Any injuries of note? Orioles: Santander had his breakout 2020 season cut short due to an oblique strain, then he sat out the last week of camp due to similar issues, but he is expected to be in Thursday's lineup. Outfielder DJ Stewart was unable to truly battle for at-bats at the corners and designated hitter because of a left hamstring issue in camp; he’ll open the year on the 10-day injured list. Harvey and Chris Davis are on the 60-day IL, sidelining them at least through May. Davis suffered a lower back strain in the spring opener and never returned.

Red Sox: The big one is Chris Sale, as the lefty ace continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery. The best-case scenario would be Sale returning around midseason and giving Boston a lift for the stretch run. Rodriguez will hopefully just miss a few days at the start of the season. The lefty is determined to pitch as much as he can after missing all of 2020 with myocarditis. Cora looks forward to getting Brasier back soon, as he is a big part of the equation in setup relief.

Who is hot and who is not? Orioles: Hays had the best camp of any O's hitter, batting .392 with a 1.192 OPS and four homers. Mancini picked up where he left off upon returning, hitting .333 with two homers in Grapefruit League play, and Mullins had a nice enough camp to stave off Hays for everyday reps in center. Franco only got into six games after signing on March 16, Pedro Severino hit .200 in camp and Means pitched to a 7.11 ERA.

Red Sox: At the outset of camp, Cora challenged Hernández to be the leadoff hitter, and the veteran has responded, finishing with a .327 average in the Grapefruit League slate. He has also displayed a sharp batting eye. Rookie Bobby Dalbec looks ready to take on his responsibility as the starting first baseman, after belting seven homers this spring. From a pitching standpoint, Barnes, Ottavino and Whitlock were all excellent throughout Spring Training.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• This will be the fourth straight season Bogaerts and Devers will start Opening Day on the left side of the infield for the Red Sox. The last time the club had a duo start four consecutive openers was 1914-17 (Larry Gardner and Everett Scott).

• Before 2020, the Orioles last played a season opener at Fenway Park in 1966. They also finished the ’19 season in Boston and it is where Means made his MLB debut in September ’18.

• Exactly one week after these teams open at Fenway, they will face off in Baltimore’s home opener at Camden Yards.

• Cora will be the first person to return as manager for a franchise after just a one-season gap since the late Billy Martin (1983, ’85).

• A switch-hitter for his first three MLB seasons, Mullins is hitting exclusively left-handed now as he attempts to maximize his ability at the big league level. That should allow Hays to get plenty of at-bats against left-handed pitching, even when the O’s use the DH slot to rotate Mancini and others through.

* WEEI.com

Dustin Pedroia reflects on life without an Opening Day

Rob Bradford

Dustin Pedroia is content these days.

After announcing his retirement in February, the 37-year-old has settled into life as a former professional baseball player, routinely taking his three sons to school while also dabbling in ranks of youth baseball coaching.

But Thursday there will undoubtedly be a tinge of envy. It's unavoidable. It's Opening Day.

"I’m OK," Pedroia said while appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast's latest "Uniquely Boston" series (sponsored by City of Boston Credit Union). "I had some time leading up to it because of the injuries. Last year I wasn’t around because of what I was going through with surgeries and all that crap. I’m OK. Obviously, I’m going to be watching. Nobody loves baseball more than I do. I will be watching and stuff like that. I don’t miss playing. I miss being there. I don’t miss playing because, dude, I can’t. It would be one thing if I was healthy and not playing. I don’t think that would be possible. If I was healthy I would be out there hitting second hitting rockets off people. It is what it is, man. Everything has an expiration date. Look on the back of the bottle."

But Pedroia isn't healthy, and hasn't been for some time. That replaced right knee has made sure of that.

It has left the former second baseman watching from his Arizona home, no longer fighting for that next Fenway Park at-bat. His existence this year will be looking forward to his sons' next games, while remembering how special that first home tilt of the season always is.

"Every one of them is special, man," Pedroia said of the season openers. "There is a lot of stuff going on. Especially at our home openers. Just everything going on, so you’re trying to kind of not get too excited. But it’s impossible because you’re fired up. It’s the start of the season. There is nothing like Opening Day in baseball. Hell, I went to my Opening Day for my six-year-old in Little League and that was wild. Can you imagine doing it in at Fenway Park? That’s what (his son) Cole said. He said, ‘Dad, this is awesome for (his youngest son) Brooks. What’s it like at Fenway?’ I’m like, ‘What the hell are you talking about, you were there.’ He goes, ‘I don’t remember.’ He was younger. It’s just the best. Baseball, there’s nothing like it."

Pedroia's favorite Opening Day memory?

There was that game in Tokyo in 2008, when Brandon Moss -- who wasn't even on the roster when the Red Sox' plane took off from the United States -- hit the game-winner against the A's.

Or that day at Fenway that included Rob Gronkowski chasing Tom Brady through the outfield. ("That was a circus," Pedroia said. "That was awesome.")

There was one, however, that stands out. That came on April 9, 2019.

After a season-long battle with the Manny Machado-induced knee injury, Pedroia had found a way to be ready for a return by the time the Red Sox returned from their 11-game, season-opening road trip.

He collected his World Series ring. He was showered with Fenway adulation. And he started at second base for the Red Sox.

"I think that was probably my favorite because I felt like I had accomplished something getting back from what I’ve been through and just being able to be out there with the guys," he remembered. "The ring ceremony and the ovation from the fans, that was pretty cool. That was probably my favorite Opening Day."

While Pedroia has moved on to the next chapter in his life, he did leave a parting gift for those Red Sox who will be wearing the uniform on April 1.

At behest of Alex Cora, Pedroia offered a message the current group of Red Sox on the first day of spring training this year.

Considering the paths and perseverance Pedroia navitgated over his 15-year career, this was important stuff.

"Alex just told me, ‘Listen, I want you to talk to the guys at the meeting. You’ve been in those meetings.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I will do it.’ I know all you guys all think I’m crazy and I just start yelling motivational stuff and start screaming cuss words. That’s really not how I am when I’m serious," Pedroia said. "I just wanted to let them know how special it is to be part of something like that. Obviously, some of the guys are new. It’s a special environment and once you’re around it it brings out the best in you. I just wanted to let them know to enjoy it because it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat. So don’t go in one day not 100 percent convicted and two feet in on your approach to winning and being the best teammate you can possibly be. Just simple stuff, man."

Now, Pedroia will see the next generation get to live the life he once did (albeit with just 4,500 fans to start).

He knows the feeling of that first game of the season at Fenway Park. Now it's their turn.

"There is really nothing like it," Pedroia said. "Obviously, I have never played anywhere else but I have played at other parks enough to know that Boston is one of a kind. I went to every city multiple times over a long career and there is nothing like Fenway Park. It doesn’t matter if it is a Tuesday, Sunday or Friday. It doesn’t matter what day it is. It’s the best place on the planet to play baseball. As a player you get up for every single game. There’s nothing like it. I’m sure the few guys that haven’t been a part of being there, they are going to experience it a little bit this year because it’s not full capacity. But it’s going to be soon and when that time comes it’s a bolt of energy through you as a player."

Michael Chavis being optioned headlines multiple Red Sox moves

Ryan Hannable

The Red Sox made a few roster moves Tuesday morning prior to their final spring training game and then heading up to Boston for Opening Day on Thursday.

Here are the moves.

- Outfielder Franchy Cordero was reinstated from the COVID-19 Related Injured List.

- To make room for Cordero on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher John Schreiber was designated for assignment.

- Infielder Michael Chavis and right-handed pitcher Colten Brewer were optioned to the Alternate Training Site.

Chavis is obviously the biggest move, as he's been strictly a big league player since being called up in April of 2019. Despite six home runs this spring, it seems the club is looking for him to make more progress both at the plate and defensively.

These moves are an indication that reliever Phillips Valdez and infielder Christian Arroyo will make the Opening Day roster.

* NBC Sports Boston

Making sense of latest upheaval in Red Sox' rotation

John Tomase

All winter, we thought we knew what the Boston Red Sox' rotation would like. Eduardo Rodriguez on Opening Day, followed by Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Richards, Martin Perez, and Nick Pivetta. Write it in indelible marker.

But a week before the season, someone rolled a grenade into their meeting room and now virtually nothing is certain.

Rodriguez? He's suffering from a dead arm. That bumped Eovaldi up to Opening Day on Thursday vs. the Orioles. Then Richards landed in COVID protocol, which set him back, before he left it almost as quickly.

Perez will likely start the second game in the second series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays, and Pivetta is fine, but that still leaves an opening for a new fifth starter who for one turn will be a second starter. That could be Matt Andriese, except he's not stretched out, so it should be Tanner Houck ... unless E-Rod is ready.

If you can't follow all of that, it's OK, because it sounds like the Red Sox are feeling their way through, too.

"It will certainly require some creativity and adjustment," manager Alex Cora said when it appeared Richards, at least, might open the season in COVID protocols. "We don't know yet where that will lead."

The Red Sox anticipated some upheaval in the rotation throughout the season, especially coming off of a 60-game campaign that disrupted throwing programs and routines. They didn't necessarily expect that it would hit before Opening Day, especially when improving the performance of the woeful 2020 rotation represented such an offseason imperative.

A call to arms Red Sox' MLB rank in team batting average (2020) 3rd Red Sox' MLB rank in team ERA (2020) 28th

Things started going south during Rodriguez's last start on March 22. He came out with diminished velocity and was lifted after just two innings. He then skipped his regular bullpen session two days later and was diagnosed with a dead arm.

He threw a 36-pitch bullpen over the weekend that left the team encouraged, but Cora wants him to face hitters before he makes his first appearance since 2019, so the odds appear to be increasing that he opens the season on the injured list.

"It seems like he's running out of time to be with us early," Cora said. "I'm not talking about we're going to lose him for a while, but we have to be careful with him. We'll talk about it today and see where we go with that."

The Red Sox will send Eovaldi to the mound on Thursday vs. Baltimore left-hander John Means. They have an off day Friday before Houck likely starts the second game of the series, even though he was sent to the alternate site two weeks ago. Sunday's start would then go to Pivetta, unless Richards feels ready.

Richards spent a couple of days in COVID protocols after being in close contact with reliever Matt Barnes, who failed a test last week, only to have it effectively declared a false positive Monday, meaning everyone impacted can rejoin the team.

Still, because Richards hasn't made a start since allowing three runs in 5.2 innings vs. the Braves one week ago, the Red Sox don't want to rush him.

"We'll talk to him today," Cora said. "He was one of the guys that, he did an up and down yesterday, late. So it was actually three up and down innings. We'll talk to him today and there's a chance he'll pitch Sunday or Monday, so we'll decide how he feels. We're not going to push him. He'll let us know how he feels and we'll go from there."

That leaves Perez in line to start on Tuesday vs. the Rays before the rotation flips over and we start this game all over again. Will Rodriguez be ready? Will Richards be ready? Will Houck return to the alternate site?

These are questions the Red Sox expected to answer at some point this season -- just not this soon.

Barnes details emotional roller coaster of COVID scare

John Tomase

As the Boston Red Sox' player rep, Matt Barnes provided input into the COVID protocols that players across baseball would follow this spring. He knew the ins and outs of the dos and don'ts as well as anyone.

So imagine his combination of shock, surprise, and embarrassment when he failed a coronavirus test last week, forcing three teammates into quarantine and introducing some epic uncertainty into the 2021 Red Sox season.

"I can tell you before we had COVID back in 2018 or 2019, I didn't go anywhere in spring training anyways, let alone when we have a global pandemic," Barnes said on Tuesday. "It was crazy to me when I found out on Saturday morning. I was like, 'There's no way, I haven't gone anywhere.'"

It turns out Barnes was right. After eight successive tests came back negative, Barnes was cleared to rejoin the team Monday, with his absence characterized as a "non-infectious positive," which sounds an awful lot like a false positive.

"I'm not a medical expert," Barnes said. "Frankly, I don't really care how it's labeled. The only thing that matters to me is I've got negatives, I'm back with the team, and ready to go now."

That doesn't change the fact that the weekend was pretty stressful for Barnes, who experienced no symptoms, but also knew he didn't have any COVID antibodies when the spring began.

"I went to the grocery store for 30 minutes and that was it," he said. "Other than that, it was the field and my house. And I felt completely fine. So I was definitely like, it didn't feel right, but at the same time, all the necessary protocols need to be taken just in case, because at the end of the day, this is a crazy virus that there are still parts that people probably don't understand, and crazy things can happen.

"At that point, when I found out on Saturday morning, my main focus then became to do everything I could to make sure nobody else on the team was going to be put in jeopardy."

Right-handers Matt Andriese, Garrett Richards, and Garrett Whitlock had already been labeled close contacts, however, and forced to quarantine.

"If I had done something dumb where I had gone somewhere I shouldn't have, or I had people in town, or I had done something or even if I was symptomatic, I was like, man, I could maybe see this," Barnes said.

"I still would've beaten myself up, but sitting there trying to figure out where I could've gotten this from having followed all the protocols, making sure I wasn't putting myself or anyone else in jeopardy, especially five days before the season starts, six days before the season starts."

The quarantine of one teammate in particular bothered Barnes -- Whitlock, a rule 5 pick from the Yankees who hadn't pitched in over a year because of Tommy John surgery and was now possibly going to be denied his first spot on an Opening Day roster.

"I mean Whitlock, I was like, 'Man, this is going to be his first one,'" Barnes said. "I'm like, 'Imagine if he missed it because I was an idiot,' but I didn't do anything. So I'm sitting there kind of wrestling with those two things, and I can tell you that I'm super relieved.

"Super happy that it was just a misunderstanding and we are good to go at full strength, and we'll have everyone ready to go for Thursday."

* The Athletic

First impressions as Red Sox effectively set their Opening Day roster

Chad Jennings

Franchy Cordero and Phillips Valdez are in. Michael Chavis and Colten Brewer are out.

The Red Sox on Tuesday all but announced their Opening Day roster with another round of moves. There remain two unknowns:

The status of Eduardo Rodriguez. The vague possibility of a last-minute trade or signing. But for the most part, it seems the Red Sox have settled on at least 25 of their 26 players, and it could include one who was technically optioned to the minor leagues two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox optioned Brewer and Chavis, activated Cordero from the COVID-19 restricted list, and designated reliever John Schreiber for assignment. This is what the Opening Day roster looks like at the moment, along with 23 thoughts and takeaways about the group they’ve chosen.

Lineup 2B Kiké Hernández CF Alex Verdugo DH J.D. Martinez SS Xander Bogaerts 3B Rafael Devers RF Hunter Renfroe LF Marwin Gonzalez C Christian Vázquez 1B Bobby Dalbec

1. Because the Orioles have announced lefty John Means as their Opening Day starter, we’re projecting Marwin Gonzalez to be in left field. Cordero should get a lot of left field playing time — more on that in a bit — but the matchup suggests Gonzalez will get the first crack at playing in front of the Green Monster.

2. It’s worth noting that, in Tuesday’s spring finale, manager Alex Cora went with an all-new outfield alignment of Alex Verdugo in left, Kiké Hernández in center, and Hunter Renfroe in right (with Gonzalez playing second base). That’s another possibility for Opening Day. It’s one Cora dismissed earlier in spring training, but apparently he’s open to it now, and it could make sense against a left-handed starter.

3. Although he was hit in the face by a thrown baseball during drills late last week, it looks like Christian Vázquez is fine and will be the everyday catcher, as planned. He does have a pretty nasty cut below his left eye, though. “My eye is good,” Vázquez said. “I can see perfect. I’m going to have an appointment Wednesday with my eye doctor and get ready for Opening Day.” It’s worth remembering that the Red Sox hold a team option on Vázquez for 2022, and he’s really emerged as one of the relatively few everyday catchers in the game.

4. What are the biggest X-factors in this lineup? Here are my top three: 1. Martinez returning to form after a brutal 2020. 2. Hernández really thriving as the leadoff hitter. 3. Bobby Dalbec making enough contact to become a meaningful run producer (and not a black hole of strikeouts). Not sure those things will happen, but if they do, this lineup should be quite good.

5. Barring a surprise, this will be Verdugo’s first Opening Day start. He was not in the lineup on Opening Day last year (Kevin Pillar started instead, playing right field because the Red Sox were facing a lefty). It’s a reminder of how much his importance has grown in less than 12 months. Verdugo began last season on the bench and finished as arguably the Red Sox’ most valuable player. Now he looks like their No. 2 hitter.

6. Assuming he’s in the lineup — and why wouldn’t he be? — this should be Bogaerts’ eighth consecutive Opening Day start, moving him into a tie with Everett Scott (who played more than 100 years ago) for the most Opening Day starts by any Red Sox shortstop.

7. Because you’re curious: Most Opening Day starts by any Red Sox position player is — and perhaps always will be — Carl Yastrzemski with 22. He started 15 Opening Day games in left field, four at first base, two as the designated hitter and one (1977) in right field.

Rotation RHP Nathan Eovaldi RHP Tanner Houck RHP Garrett Richards RHP Nick Pivetta LHP Martín Pérez

8. The biggest unknown here is whether Rodriguez or Tanner Houck will start Game 2. Houck technically has been optioned to the minor leagues, but he’s lined up for Saturday’s start against the Orioles, and he seems like the safest bet to get the ball that day because of ongoing concern about Rodriguez’s dead arm and build-up.

9. Rodriguez threw a bullpen today. Here’s what Cora said about his status: “There’s a pretty good chance (he’ll open on the injured list). We’re running out of time, and you’ve got to go through the progression with him. We’re not going to cut a few things just to have him (right away). He might say all the right things, but there is other stuff he has to do to prove to us he feels great. It’s not that we don’t trust him, but we have to be very careful with him, so there’s a pretty good chance (he’ll be on the I.L.).

10. An injured list placement can be backdated to Monday, meaning if Rodriguez opens on the I.L., the earliest he could join the Red Sox would be April 8, the seventh game of the season, which opens the first road trip in Baltimore.

11. Another smaller issue to be sorted out is the rotation order for Games 3 and 4. Cora said Richards likely will start either Sunday or Monday, and he was clear that Martin Pérez is lined up for Game 5 on Tuesday. So, basically, it could be Nick Pivetta and then Garrett Richards, or Richards and then Pivetta, but they’re both in the rotation barring something unforeseen.

12. Nathan Eovaldi will make his second consecutive Opening Day start, each one coming in place of Rodriguez, who’s been twice scratched on Opening Day. As of about 2:11 on Thursday afternoon, Eovaldi will have as many Red Sox Opening Day starts as Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Jim Lonborg and Lefty Grove. He’ll have more than Clay Buchholz, David Price, Derek Lowe and Oil Can Boyd.

13. Because now you’re curious about this one too, here’s the list of most Opening Day starts in Red Sox history: Roger Clemens (8), Pedro Martinez (7), Cy Young (6), Dennis Eckersley (5), Jon Lester, Bill Monbouquette and Mel Parnell (4). Tim Wakefield has the most starts in franchise history by a pretty wide margin, but he and my 4-year-old son have the same number of Opening Day starts.

14. One more thing on Houck, because someone in the organization pointed this out to me: Chris Archer had an impressive big league debut in 2012, but he didn’t make the Rays Opening Day roster in 2013 and still wound up making 23 big league starts that season (despite a generally healthy group of starters). Given the circumstances of this season — workload and health concerns — there’s a good chance Houck could do something similar. He might not stick with the team for long, assuming Rodriguez gets back next week, but there are going to be plenty of opportunities for him to pitch.

Bench LF Franchy Cordero 2B/SS Christian Arroyo C Kevin Plawecki

15. Cordero had an impressive spring, all things considered. He missed a lot of time early in camp, but he did enough in the last few weeks to convince the Red Sox that he’s ready. It looks like he’ll be the primary left fielder against right-handed pitchers. The outfield alignment Cora tried on Tuesday could be an option against lefties, but Cordero in left field makes the most sense against right-handers (assuming he can stay healthy, which is far from a given).

16. Activating Cordero on a three-man bench meant optioning Chavis, who was the last position player cut. He had an awesome camp himself — only Dalbec hit more home runs — but Chavis has options remaining, and he doesn’t really have a clear role to play. Given the makeup of this team, he could be the first one called up in the event of almost any non-catcher/pitcher injury.

17. Instead of Chavis, the Red Sox chose out-of-options Christian Arroyo as their utility infielder. He, too, had a good camp and seemed to impress Cora with his improved athleticism. He’s a former top prospect who, so far, has not been able to carry his potential into the big leagues in any meaningful way. That makes him the kind of flyer that makes sense for the Red Sox. Chaim Bloom is all about upside, and Arroyo might have some untapped upside remaining. Looks like he’ll be the primary backup at shortstop and get a decent amount of time at second base.

18. Here’s an interesting thing about the Red Sox 40-man roster: it includes seven additional position players, but only two — Chavis and Jonathan Araúz — have played above Double A. That makes it hard to say who’s really next-in-line for call-up opportunities. Non-roster catchers Jett Bandy and Chris Herrmann and non-roster outfielders César Puello and Michael Gettys are surely in the mix, as is veteran utility man Yairo Muñoz, who can play anywhere. But, the 40-man is full, so if the Red Sox need one of those non- roster guys, they might have to designate someone else for assignment.

Bullpen RHP Matt Barnes RHP Adam Ottavino RHP Hirokazu Sawamura LHP Darwinzon Hernandez LHP Josh Taylor RHP Matt Andriese RHP Garrett Whitlock RHP Austin Brice RHP Phillips Valdéz

19. When Major League Baseball decided Matt Barnes had a “non-infectious positive” in Saturday’s COVID-19 test, it freed the Red Sox of almost all pitching uncertainty. Barnes will be with the team in the late innings, with only Ryan Brasier — more on him in a bit — left out of their best-case scenario.

20. Even with Barnes back in the fold, Cora still has not announced his closer, though that could come soon, perhaps by the end of the day. It’s down to Barnes and Ottavino. Here’s what Cora said on Tuesday morning: “These two guys, both of them, they’re proven, they’ve done it. Obviously, Barnesy has done an amazing job for this organization for a while. Adam is a great addition. But now obviously with Brasier being out now probably longer than we expected, maybe we have to think about our plan in the bullpen, and I think we’ll be okay.”

21. Cora certainly suggested he’d been considering Brasier as a ninth-inning option, but that’s off the table after Brasier dealt with a hand injury early in camp, and then suffered a calf injury on Monday. He suffered the latest injury while fielding a groundball in a B game. Instead of being activated in a matter of days, it now looks like Brasier could take weeks. “It doesn’t look too promising,” Cora said. “He thought it was a cramp early on but obviously at night he felt worse.”

22. The final bullpen decisions seem to have come down to Brewer vs. Valdez, and neither pitched particularly well in spring training. They had nearly identical WHIPs (1.74 and 1.73) with Valdez allowing far more walks while Brewer allowed a higher opponents’ batting average. Ultimately, the Red Sox went with Valdez, who had the better 2020 season, but that bullpen spot could change a lot in the course of the season.

23. While that last bullpen spot could change, it’s notable that there aren’t a ton of readily available alternatives on the 40-man. Brewer and Eduardo Bazardo are the only pure relievers currently optioned to Triple A. The other call-up candidates are either starting pitchers (Connor Seabold and eventually Houck) or non-roster pitchers (Kevin McCarthy, Josh Winckowski, etc.). The bullpen will still undergo some changes, but it’s not as wide open as it might seem, partially because Jay Groome (who’s inexperienced) and Bryan Mata (who’s hurt) are taking up 40-man spots that could otherwise go to next-in-line pitchers.

* The New York Times

* The New York Daily News

* The New York Post

* The USA Today

* The Wall Street Journal

* Fort Myers News-Press

* Associated Press