The Boston Red Sox Wednesday, April 5, 2017 * The Boston Globe Red Sox’ Mitch Moreland now over the flu Peter Abraham Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his debut with the Red Sox on Monday. But the first baseman had a pretty good excuse. It was the first time in six days he faced live pitching, hardly an ideal way to prepare for the season and Pirates ace Gerrit Cole. Moreland played a spring training game March 27 in Sarasota, Fla., going 2 for 3 with two RBIs. A day later, he tested positive for the flu and was told to stay away from his teammates. “It was pretty bad,” Moreland said. “I’m a lot better now, but still feeling it a little.” When the team left Florida for Washington on March 29, Moreland stayed in Fort Myers then flew directly to Boston. It wasn’t until Sunday that he was cleared to play. The lefthanded-hitting Moreland batted fifth in the Opening Day lineup, high for a player who hit .233 with a .720 OPS for Texas last season. But manager John Farrell didn’t want to bunch together too many righthanded hitters. “Like his all-field approach. I think what he showed in spring training is a pretty clear understanding of how he was going to manage and handle his at-bats,” Farrell said. “Was willing to work a count; wasn’t overaggressive in certain situations.” With Moreland batting fifth, that dropped All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to sixth. He was 2 for 4. Outside of two games, Bogaerts hit second or third last season. He hit .294 with 21 home runs, 89 RBIs, and an .802 OPS. For now, Farrell values lineup balance more than getting one his best players more at-bats. “You have a two-time Silver Slugger winner that’s dropping down in the order. That’s more a product of the depth of the group that we have. We’ve got probably four or five guys that are capable of hitting [second or third] on this team,” Farrell said. “But to keep some balance, some left-right balance, throughout and potentially not allow some obvious matchups by opposing bullpens, Bogey going to the sixth hole is the choice made. I’m sure we’re going to have many different looks throughout the course of the year in the lineup. But this is where we start.” In spring training, Bogaerts indicated he was displeased to be batting lower in the order but would see how it played out. Thornburg checkup Righthanded reliever Tyler Thornburg, who is on the disabled list with a shoulder impingement, will be evaluated Wednesday, according to Farrell. Thornburg was shut down March 29 after what was a rocky performance in spring training. Farrell told MLB Network Radio that Thornburg would have the strength of his shoulder checked and that will determine his next step. Counting a minor league game, Thornburg threw only 2⅓ innings in spring training, his last outing coming March 24. Once he is cleared to start throwing again, it could take as long as month for him to get ready for a major league game. Rotation jumble? Because of rain, the Red Sox rotation may be a bit, well, fluid. Rain is forecast for Thursday, when the Sox have a 1:35 p.m. game against Pittsburgh. Eduardo Rodriguez is scheduled to start. If that game is postponed, the Sox could push their starters back one day and not need a fifth starter until next Tuesday against Baltimore. If that game does get played, they would need a fifth starter Sunday in Detroit. The Sox are carrying four starters on their roster. Drew Pomeranz, who is on the disabled with a forearm strain, is eligible to be activated Sunday. Pomeranz pitched in a minor league intrasquad game in Fort Myers, Fla., and came through well, according to Farrell. Assignments made Triple A Pawtucket will open its season Thursday at Lehigh Valley with 31-year-old former Harvard pitcher Shawn Haviland on the mound. He was signed as a minor league free agent in January. Brian Johnson and Henry Owens would follow. Kyle Kendrick is on Pawtucket’s roster and would pitch the fourth game unless needed by the major league team . Double A Portland’s roster will feature third baseman Rafael Devers, first baseman Nick Longhi, righthander Jamie Callahan and infielder Mike Olt, a former big leaguer . Lefthander Jay Groome, the team’s first-round draft pick last June, was assigned to Single A Greenville to open the season. He will be joined there by third baseman Bobby Dalbec, the fourth- round pick, and fifth-round pick Mike Shawaryn, a righthander . The Red Sox released Carlos Quentin at the end of minor league spring training. The 34-year-old former All-Star was attempting a comeback after two years out of the majors. Shortstop suspended Single A Salem shortstop Jeremy Rivera was suspended for 50 games for an unspecified violation of minor league baseball’s drug program. Rivera, 22, was a 17th-round draft pick in 2014 who has been a bench player . The eighth annual Run to Home Base will be July 15 at Fenway Park. Former Secretary of State and US senator John Kerry, a Navy veteran, was at the park on Tuesday for the announcement. This year’s event will focus on honoring veterans of the Vietnam War. The 9k run and 5k walk or run raises funds for Home Base, a program that aids veterans with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and other disorders. It’s time for Chris Sale to step into the Boston spotlight Peter Abraham Chris Sale is scheduled to pitch his first game for the Red Sox on Wednesday night. He’s already one of the most overqualified No. 2 starters in franchise history given his status in the game. The lefthander is less a rival to pitchers such as Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, and Max Scherzer and more a member of the club. That Sale has not won a Cy Young Award is far more matter of happenstance and timing than talent. His December trade from the White Sox to the Red Sox was historically significant, the Red Sox sending their two top prospects to Chicago to get an ace at the height of his powers. “I’m really excited to watch him on the same team. He’s as good as it gets,” said Rick Porcello, who started Opening Day as a reward for winning the Cy Young Award last season. “Don’t think there’s another lefthander in the game as nasty as he is.” In five seasons as a starter for the White Sox, Sale averaged 203 innings, 227 strikeouts, and 14 wins for a team that never made the playoffs. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.78 is the best since 1920 for pitchers with at least 1,000 innings. Sale’s average of 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings is the third best in history. Only Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood are higher. “When you look at what he’s been able to do over the course of a career, the strikeout-to-walk ratio just tells you that there’s such above-average strike-throwing ability with premium stuff. Three quality pitches,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said on Monday. “There’s a competitive spirit that’s, I think, very evident. We’re seeing it in other ways, not just when he walks between the lines. From the first phone call with Chris when we acquired him, the way he spoke about the opportunity here, I know [Wednesday] is a day he’s looking forward to as well.” That part we’ll have to assume for now. On Monday, Sale turned down at least three requests from reporters to discuss his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sale last spoke to reporters at length after pitching a game in spring training on March 26. Sale’s final start of spring training, scheduled for last Friday in Washington, was rained out. None of this is a surprise because it is what has worked for Sale over the years. Unlike many players of his generation, the 28-year-old Sale has no presence on social media and does not court endorsements or media attention. During his time in Chicago, Sale usually made himself available only after he pitched. The White Sox were 26th in the majors in attendance last season and have long been a distant second in popularity within their own city to the Cubs. Whatever interest there was in Sale was muted and he thrived in that environment. Outside of five selections to the All-Star Game, his excellent career has been largely out of the spotlight. Sale is the rare superstar with a low profile. That all ends Wednesday, and how Sale handles new expectations will go far in determining the course of the season for the Red Sox. Wednesday’s will be Sale’s fourth career start at Fenway, the first since last June 21 when he allowed one run over seven innings and struck out nine to beat Clay Buchholz. Sale had a 2.29 earned run average in 10 career games against the Red Sox. When Sale was introduced on Monday as part of the pregame ceremonies, he received an extended ovation from the crowd. Farrell is curious to see how that excitement carries over to the players. “Even when you went against the White Sox, a team . can take on the mentality of the pitcher on a given day.