Tag: opening day roster

Red Sox finalize 2023 Opening Day roster

Ahead of Thursday’s season opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park, the Red Sox finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster.

Boston will carry 13 pitchers and 13 position players to kick off the 2023 campaign. Outfielder Raimel Tapia and right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort received the final two roster spots.

Tapia, who signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in January, enjoyed a strong spring (.988 OPS in 17 Grapefruit League games) and beat out Jarren Duran for the fifth outfield spot off the bench. The left-handed hitting 29-year-old figures to see playing time at all three outfield spots as a complement to the right-handed hitting Rob Refsnyder.

“Tapia, kind of a veteran guy, been there, done that,” manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) on Thursday. We can use him in the three outfield positions. We can pinch-hit with him. He can run.”

The Red Sox created an opening for Tapia on the big-league roster by optioning Duran to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. They cleared a 40-man roster spot for him on Thursday by placing infielder Adalberto Mondesi on the 60-day injured list.

Mondesi, who was acquired from the Royals for left-handed reliever Josh Taylor in January, is still working his way back from a torn left ACL that required him to undergo season-ending surgery last May. The speedy 27-year-old will not be eligible to be activated from the injured list until May 29 at the earliest.

In addition to Mondesi, fellow infielder Trevor Story will also begin the season on the 60-day injured list after undergoing internal brace surgery on is right elbow in January. Those two will not count against the 40-man roster while they are sidelined.

Left-handers James Paxton and Joely Rodriguez and right-handers Garrett Whitlock, Wyatt Mills, and Brayan Bello will all start the season on the 15-day injured list. With Rodriguez on the shelf, Richard Bleier is the only lefty reliever the Red Sox will have available out of the bullpen to begin the year.

With that, here is the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster in its entirety:

Pitchers (13): LHP Richard Bleier, RHP Ryan Brasier, RHP Kutter Crawford, RHP Tanner Houck, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Zack Kelly, RHP Corey Kluber, RHP Chris Martin, RHP Kaleb Ort, RHP Nick Pivetta, LHP Chris Sale, RHP John Schreiber, RHP Josh Winckowski

Catchers (2): Reese McGuire, Connor Wong

Infielders (6): Christian Arroyo, Triston Casas, Yu Chang, Rafael Devers, Enrique Hernandez, Justin Turner

Outfielders (5): Adam Duvall, Rob Refsnyder, Raimel Tapia, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida

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First pitch between the Red Sox and Orioles from Fenway Park is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN. Kluber gets the Opening Day start for Boston opposite fellow righty Kyle Gibson for Baltimore.

(Picture of Fenway Park: Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

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Jorge Alfaro on not making Red Sox’ Opening Day roster: ‘I try to control what I can control and whatever happens, happens’

WORCESTER — Earlier this week, Jorge Alfaro took to Twitter to share some Monday morning motivation.

“Giving up is not an option,” Alfaro tweeted at 10:43 a.m. eastern time on Monday.

That tweet came shortly after Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced to reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) in Fort Myers that Alfaro had been reassigned to minor-league camp, meaning he did not beat out Connor Wong for the No. 2 catching spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster behind Reese McGuire.

It also meant that Alfaro was going to remain with the Red Sox and accept his assignment to Triple-A Worcester, which did not seem like a given earlier this spring.

The Red Sox initially signed Alfaro to a minor-league contract in January. The deal came with an “upward mobility” clause that would allow the 29-year-old backstop to pursue a major-league opportunity elsewhere if he was not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by a specific date.

Alfaro exercised that clause this past Saturday, triggering a 48-hour window that — to a certain extent — would determine his immediate future.

“I was pretty much chilling at my house, waiting,” Alfaro told BloggingtheRedSox.com at Polar Park on Wednesday. “I did what I’m supposed to, what I could do. I try to control what I can control and whatever happens, happens. Those things that you don’t have control over, you just have to sit down and see what the future holds for you.”

Alfaro had an impressive spring for Boston at the plate, batting .478/.520/.870 with three doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, and three runs scored in nine Grapefruit League games. Despite those gaudy numbers, though, the right-handed hitter was unable to find a better opportunity, which is why he is still a member of the Red Sox organization.

“I was happy with the job that I did,” said Alfaro. “Whatever happens, right now I’m here [in Worcester]. I can tell everyone — the fans and all my teammates — that I’m going to keep playing the same way, I’m going to bring the same energy every time, and I’m going to give my 100 percent all the time.”

Cora said Monday that it was “important in a selfish way” to keep Alfaro in the organization. As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, the Red Sox want Alfaro to continue working on his receiving, which is something that has hindered the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder in the past.

“You want all these guys to be big-leaguers but I think to have him here, he made some strides defensively,” Cora said of Alfaro. “We’re very comfortable with it compared to last year. I think [catching instructor Jason Varitek] feels like there’s a lot of improvement, especially with the one-knee down position. This guy, he communicates well. He has a good feel with the pitching staff. It’s just a numbers game at some point. And where we’re at right now, we feel comfortable with the guys that we have and obviously comfortable with him staying in the organization.”

With the WooSox, not only will Alfaro be looking to build off his solid spring, but he will also be looking to build off a strong offseason in which he played for the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League and was named the MVP of the league’s championship series.

“When I went down there, I tried to play hard, get back that confidence you have as a player,” Alfaro explained. “I was coming off two years that were not my best years. So going down there, getting the job done, and helping the team, it means a lot. And winning MVP of the finals, I wasn’t expecting that. I was just in that league to help the team, do what I can, and improve on things.

“Just trying not to do too much,” he added. “Just use that opportunity to prove to myself that I can get back to where I was and compete when I step on the field.”

Alfaro, who turns 30 in June, has the ability opt out of his contract with the Red Sox if he is not on the major-league roster by June 1 or July 1 at the latest. For now, though, he is focused on staying present and helping his teammates in any way he can.

“Now that I’m here, my goal is to just help the team with whatever I can,” Alfaro said. “Help my teammates with whatever they need. I know I have a little experience — a couple years — in the big-leagues and I can help a lot of people. … Just go out there and compete and play hard. I think my main goal is just to stay healthy.”

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox slugger Franchy Cordero agrees to deal with Yankees

Former Red Sox first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero has agreed to a one-year, major-league contract with the Yankees, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. It is a split deal that will pay Cordero $1 million in the big-leagues and $180,000 in the minors. Barring a late surprise, the 28-year-old appears set to make New York’s Opening Day roster.

Cordero spent the last two seasons with the Red Sox after originally being acquired from the Royals as part of the three-team, seven-player trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City in February 2021. In 132 games with Boston, the left-handed hitter batted .209/.279/.350 with 23 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 48 runs scored, five stolen bases, 36 walks, and 143 strikeouts over 411 plate appearances.

To begin his Red Sox tenure, Cordero struggled to the tune of a .189/.237/.260 slash line across 48 games in 2021. Though he found success at Triple-A Worcester during that time, he was still designated for assignment that October and was subsequently re-signed to a minor-league deal.

Cordero returned to Worcester for the start of the 2022 campaign and was called up for the first time in late April. He proceeded to hit .282/.346/.479 with two homers and 12 RBIs in his first 25 games back with the big-league club, most notably crushing a walk-off grand slam against the Mariners at Fenway Park on May 22.

As the calendar flipped from May to June, though, Cordero began to struggle again. He produced a .721 OPS in June and then slumped to the tune of a .162/.240/.279 line in July before being sent down to Worcester in early August. Cordero was recalled later that month after Eric Hosmer hit the injured list. He homered four times in his next 12 games but his season unfortunately came to an end on September 5 when he crashed into the left field wall at Tropicana Field and suffered a high right ankle sprain.

Cordero was projected to earn $1.5 million as an arbitration-eligible player in 2023 but was non-tendered by the Red Sox in November. It was previously reported that Boston liked what Cordero brought to the table in terms of tools and personality, but it could not guarantee him a clear path to playing time thanks to the emergence of fellow left-handed hitting first baseman Triston Casas.

Shortly after being cut loose by the Red Sox, Cordero inked a minors pact with the Orioles in December that came with an invite to major-league spring training. In 18 Grapefruit League for with Baltimore, the Dominican native slashed a blistering .413/.426/.674 with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, nine RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, zero walks, and 11 strikeouts over 47 trips to the plate.

Despite those relatively strong numbers, Cordero could not crack the Orioles’ Opening Day roster. As such, he was granted his release from the organization on Monday.

Cordero, who does not turn 29 until September, should provide the Yankees with some experienced depth in the outfield and at first base, if needed. The Red Sox do not play their top division rivals until early June, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role — if any — Cordero has carved out for himself by then. As Jarren Duran put it on Wednesday, “it might be weird seeing him without the beard.”

(Picture of Franchy Cordero: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Red Sox option Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester, clearing way for Raimel Tapia to make team

The Red Sox have optioned outfielder Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced following Tuesday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Braves at JetBlue Park.

By optioning Duran, the Red Sox have effectively cleared the way for non-roster invitee Raimel Tapia to make the team as a fifth outfielder. Tapia, however, is not yet on Boston’s 40-man roster, which is currently at full capacity. And so the club still needs to clear a spot in order to officially add the 29-year-old outfielder to the mix.

Duran and Tapia were essentially competing for a reserve outfield spot behind the likes of Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall, Alex Verdugo, and Rob Refsnyder on Boston’s Opening Day roster. Whoever came out on top would be in line to serve as a left-handed hitting complement to the right-handed hitting Refsnyder off the bench.

In just nine games with the Red Sox this spring, Duran went 6-for-18 (.333) at the plate with three doubles, one home run, one RBI, five runs scored, one stolen base, four walks, and three strikeouts. The 26-year-old was away from the team for a little more than two weeks earlier this month to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. But he was used sparingly in that time and only accrued five plate appearances.

Tapia, meanwhile, signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in January and proved to be one of the club’s top offensive performers this spring. In Grapefruit League games, he batted .326/.383/.605 with six doubles, two homers, five RBIs, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and six strikeouts across 47 trips to the plate.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Tapia had the ability to opt out of his deal on Monday, but he elected to remain with the Red Sox through their final game of the spring and went 1-for-2 with a double and run scored in Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Braves.

With Duran optioned and Tapia set to make the team, the Red Sox are now tasked with creating an opening for the latter. As noted by The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams, it appears as though the club will accomplish this by placing infielder Adalberto Mondesi (ACL rehab) on the 60-day injured list to begin the season.

The Red Sox have just one roster-related decision remaining, and it pertains to the final spot in the bullpen. It will either go to Kaleb Ort, who is already on the 40-man roster but has struggled mightily this spring, Oddanier Mosqueda, Ryan Sherriff or an external option is not yet with the club.

If one of Mosqueda or Sherriff — who were in camp as non-roster invitees — or an outside addition gets the job, another 40-man roster spot would need to be cleared. In that scenario, Ort could very well wind up getting designated for assignment.

All things considered, the Red Sox must finalize their initial 26-man roster to start the season before their Opening Day matchup against the Orioles at Fenway Park on Thursday afternoon.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox reassign Jorge Alfaro to minor-leagues, clearing way for Connor Wong to make team

In addition to optioning infielder Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester on Monday, the Red Sox also reassigned catcher Jorge Alfaro to minor-league camp. Put another way, Dalbec and Alfaro will start the season with the WooSox.

Alfaro signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in January. The deal came with an invite to major-league spring training as well as an upward mobility clause that granted the 29-year-old backstop the ability to seek a big-league opportunity elsewhere if Boston did not give him one.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, though, the window for Alfaro to exercise his opt-out has now passed, meaning he will remain in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

In nine games with the Red Sox this spring, the right-handed hitting Alfaro went 11-for-23 (.478) at the plate with three doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and six strikeouts. He also allowed one passed ball and threw out one of seven possible base stealers in the process of logging 43 innings behind the plate.

Alfaro came into camp looking to compete with Connor Wong for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster as the No. 2 catcher behind Reese McGuire. Though Wong missed a significant amount of time this spring with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, Alfaro was also away from the team for about two weeks earlier this month while playing for his native Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.

Wong made his return to Boston’s lineup for the first time since March 2 in Monday’s Grapefruit League game against the Braves in Northport. He went 0-for-3 and caught seven innings. When speaking with reporters (including Smith) beforehand, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated that he was confident the 26-year-old would be ready for Opening Day despite the lack of at-bats he has gotten and the lack of innings caught this spring.

“If everything goes well, we’re very comfortable with him at-bats-wise,” Cora said of Wong. “He got plenty [of] behind-the-plate repetitions. If we make the decision, it’s because we’re comfortable with it.”

Wong, who turns 27 in May, is now slated to make his first Opening Day roster as a big-leaguer. The right-handed hitter is well-regarded for his defense and figures to form a tandem of sorts with the left-handed hitting McGuire to begin the season.

Alfaro, meanwhile, will report to Worcester. He has the right to opt out of his contract with the Red Sox if he is not added to the 26-man roster by June 1 or July 1 at the latest. If Alfaro does make it to Boston this season, he will receive a base salary of $2 million.

In the meantime, Alfaro will provide the Red Sox with some valuable catching depth in Worcester alongside the likes of Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez. Cora noted on Monday that it was important to keep Alfaro in the organization so that he could continue to work on his receiving skills.

“It’s important in a selfish way,” Cora explained. “You want all these guys to be big leaguers but I think to have him here, he made some strides defensively. We’re very comfortable with it compared to last year. I think [catching instructor Jason Varitek] feels like there’s a lot of improvement, especially with the one-knee down position.

“This guy, he communicates well,” added Cora. “He has a good feel with the pitching staff. It’s just a numbers game at some point. And where we’re at right now, we feel comfortable with the guys that we have and obviously comfortable with him staying in the organization.”

By optioning Dalbec and reassigning Alfaro to minor-league camp, the Red Sox have 36 players remaining on their major-league spring training roster. Three of those players (Raimel Tapia, Greg Allen, and Niko Goodrum) are in camp as non-roster invitees. Seven others (Brayan Bello, Wyatt Mills, James Paxton, Joely Rodriguez, Garrett Whitlock, Adalberto Mondesi, and Trevor Story) are expected to start the season on the injured list. Story is already on the 60-day injured list, so he does not count against the 40-man roster.

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox option Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester, clearing way for Yu Chang to make team

The Red Sox have optioned infielder Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced earlier Monday morning.

Dalbec, 27, appeared in 18 Grapefruit League games for Boston this spring, batting .235/.304/.510 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, six RBIs, 11 runs scored, five walks, and 21 strikeouts over 56 plate appearances.

After breaking camp the last two years as the Sox’ primary first baseman, Dalbec found himself in a much different spot this spring. With Triston Casas taking over those responsibilities moving forward, Dalbec’s path to making Boston’s Opening Day roster came in the form of undertaking a utility role.

While he has mainly played first and third base throughout his big-league career, Dalbec logged 33 innings at shortstop in Grapefruit League play. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) on Monday that Dalbec will play a lot of third base and continue to move around the infield in Worcester.

“It’s not easy, but one thing for sure, he’s not gonna stop working,” Cora said of Dalbec. “And that’s something we told him. From the get-go, he knew the situation.

“He’s going to be part of it at one point,” added Cora. “For us to accomplish the things that we are set to do, it’s more than 26 guys. Bobby’s still a good player. I think the at-bats are gonna help him. He’s just got to be ready, and whenever we call his name, if we need it, just be ready to come here and contribute.”

This marks the second time in the last seven months that Dalbec has been sent down to the minors. He was also optioned in early September, when Casas was called up, and slashed .250/.302/.563 with five home runs and eight RBIs in 13 games (53 plate appearances) with the WooSox.

By optioning Dalbec, the Red Sox have ensured fellow infielder Yu Chang that he will be making the team. The two were essentially competing for the same roster spot off the bench this spring and, unlike Dalbec, Chang is out of minor-league options, meaning Boston could not send him down to the minors without first exposing him to waivers.

Chang appeared in 11 games for the Red Sox in September and re-signed with the club on a one-year, $850,000 contract last month. The 27-year-old did not report to camp in Fort Myers until last Thursday after playing for Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic and being delayed by visa issues. He was named MVP of Pool A after going 7-for-16 (.438) at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, five runs scored, two walks, and two strikeouts in four games.

A native of Taiwan, Chang made his Grapefruit League debut for Boston on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a sixth-inning double off Braves reliever Joe Jimenez. Despite the lack of time he has been in camp, the Red Sox have full confidence in Chang.

“Physically, he’s in a good spot,” Cora said. “Obviously, at-bats have been limited, but he did enough in between the the tournament and camp to stay in shape. It’s hard because of the optics of, ‘Man, Bobby was here the whole time,’ but we knew that this was a possibility. The fact that [Chang] has experience at shortstop helps. We just have to make sure he goes through the whole process and he stays healthy.”

Chang, who turns 28 in August, has prior big-league experience at all four infield positions and is considered to be a plus defender. The versatile 6-foot-1, 187-pounder will round out a Red Sox infield mix to begin the year that includes Casas, Justin Turner, Christian Arroyo, Enrique Hernandez, and Rafael Devers.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Zack Kelly makes Red Sox’ Opening Day roster

The Red Sox have informed reliever Zack Kelly that he has made the club’s Opening Day roster, manager Alex Cora announced earlier Sunday morning.

Kelly, 28, made his major-league debut for Boston last August after posting a 2.72 ERA in 44 appearances (49 2/3 innings) for Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2022 season. With the Red Sox, the right-hander pitched to a 3.95 ERA and 4.28 FIP with 11 strikeouts to four walks over 13 outings spanning 13 2/3 innings of relief.

So far this spring, Kelly has allowed three earned runs on 10 hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts across eight appearances (10 innings). He struck out a pair over two scoreless frames in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

“You saw yesterday, [he] throws strikes on three different pitches,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “And we feel very confident with that.”

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Kelly’s three-pitch arsenal consists of a mid-80s slider, a mid-90s four-seam fastball, and a low-80s changeup, per Baseball Savant. He held opponents to a .174 batting average against with his four-seamer last year.

As for how the Red Sox plan on using him this coming season, Cora indicated that Kelly will be paired with fellow righty Josh Winckowski in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

“We’ll use him probably [for] multiple innings,” said Cora. “He’ll be kind of one of those guys with Wink that can go two innings. We feel very confident with him.”

This marks the first time in which Kelly has made an Opening Day roster as a big-leaguer. The Virginia native has come a long way since going undrafted out of Division II Newberry College (Newberry, S.C.) and signing with the Athletics for a mere $500 in January 2017.

With Kelly now in the fold, the Red Sox have just one more vacancy in their bullpen to fill before Opening Day against the Orioles on Thursday. It will likely either go to Kaleb Ort, who is already on the 40-man roster but has struggled this spring, Oddanier Mosqueda, or Ryan Sherriff.

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Joely Rodríguez has Grade 2 right oblique strain

Red Sox reliever Joely Rodriguez has a Grade 2 right oblique strain, manager Alex Cora announced Monday.

Rodriguez suffered a right side injury in the eighth inning of Saturday’s Grapefruit League contest against the Orioles at JetBlue Park. After throwing his 13th pitch, the left-hander grabbed at his side and was immediately taken out of the game.

While heading back to the clubhouse with a member of the the Red Sox’ training staff, Rodriguez could be heard groaning in discomfort. The club initially described the issue as right torso pain, but the southpaw underwent further imaging in the form of an MRI and received a more concrete diagnosis as a result.

When speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier) following Monday’s 7-5 loss to the Pirates in Fort Myers, Cora could not provide a specific timetable for when Rodriguez could return to action.

“Timetable is whenever he’s ready,” Cora said. “We’ve just got to attack it and get him healthy.”

As noted by Speier, a Grade 2 — or moderate — oblique strain typically comes with a six-to-eight week shutdown period, meaning Rodriguez would not be ready to pitch in big-league games for another two-plus months. If that winds up being the case, that would be a tough blow for the 31-year-old after signing one-year deal with the Red Sox in November that guarantees $2 million and comes with a $4.25 million club option for 2024.

Rodriguez, who spent the 2022 season with the Mets, underwent minor shoulder surgery before signing with Boston in the fall. The Dominican-born hurler was expected to be ready for Opening Day and was being ramped up slowly this spring, but Monday’s news obviously changes that trajectory.

Now, the Red Sox will be tasked with identifying another lefty to pair with Richard Bleier out of the bullpen. Cora has already named Oddanier Mosqueda and Ryan Sherriff as two possible candidates, but he also ruled out using top pitching prospects such as Chris Murphy and Brandon Walter, who are slated to begin the year in Triple-A Worcester’s starting rotation.

Both Mosqueda and Sherriff were in camp as non-roster invitees earlier this spring. The former, who does not turn 24 until May, has allowed one earned run in 5 1/3 innings of Grapefruit League play but has yet to pitch above the Double-A level.

Sherriff, meanwhile, made his sixth appearance of the spring on Monday and struck out in a scoreless eighth inning. The 32-year-old has yet to a surrender an earned run across 5 2/3 frames and, unlike Mosqueda, has prior major-league experience.

The Red Sox, of course, could also look to the trade market or waiver wire if they want to add to their bullpen externally. Regardless of which route they take, placing Rodriguez on the 60-day injured list before Opening Day would clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

(Picture of Joely Rodriguez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Justin Turner could be ready for Opening Day: ‘Hopefully he will be with us right away,’ Alex Cora says

Less than a week after frighteningly being hit in the face by a pitch, Justin Turner has rejoined the Red Sox at the Fenway South Complex in Fort Myers.

Turner needed 16 stitches after taking a fastball from Tigers starter Matt Manning off the left side of his face in the first inning of Monday’s Grapefruit League game against the Tigers at JetBlue Park.

Though it left him bloodied and required a trip to the hospital, Turner came away with no facial fractures and all his scans came back clean. After briefly recuperating at home, the 38-year-old infielder/designated hitter was back in Boston’s clubhouse on Wednesday and was doing cardio workouts on Thursday.

“He walked on the treadmill yesterday and felt good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Friday. “Same deal today. Just add a little bit more and take it day-by-day.”

Turner, who signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in January that comes with $15 million in guaranteed money and a player option for 2024, will not be cleared to resume baseball activities until his stiches are removed. That could happen as soon as next week, according to Cora.

Once he does get the stitches removed, the Red Sox will need to make sure Turner is in a good spot not just physically, but mentally as well. Per The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams, Turner will get at-bats in live batting practice and in minor-league games on the backfields in an effort to get back up to speed.

So far this spring, Turner has appeared in six Grapefruit League games for Boston. The right-handed hitter has gone 3-for-12 (.250) with one RBI, four runs scored, one walk, and one strikeout in that stretch.

Time will be of the essence once Turner is cleared to take the field again, but the Red Sox are confident that their projected primary designated hitter will be ready for Opening Day against the Orioles on March 30.

“We’ve got plenty of time,” said Cora. “Hopefully he will be with us right away [at the start of the season]. We’ll shoot for that. He’s in good spirits. He’s doing better.”

(Picture of Justin Turner: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox finalize 2022 Opening Day roster: Travis Shaw, Hansel Robles make cut

The Red Sox have finalized their Opening Day roster for the start of the 2022 season, and they made some interesting moves in order to do so.

First off, infielder Travis Shaw and right-hander Hansel Robles were both selected to the major-league roster, while righty Tyler Danish was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

In order to make room for Shaw and Robles on the 40-man roster, right-handers Eduard Bazardo and Ralph Garza Jr. were both designated for assignment.

Additionally, left-hander Josh Taylor was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 4) due to a low back strain, the club announced on Thursday afternoon.

Following Thursday’s series of transactions, the Red Sox ensure that they will be carrying 15 pitchers and 13 position players on their Opening Day roster ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Red Sox roster

Pitchers (15): Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Kutter Crawford, Austin Davis, Jake Diekman, Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Hansel Robles, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Strahm, Phillips Valdez, Michael Wacha, Garrett Whitlock

Catchers (2): Kevin Plawecki, Christian Vázquez

Infielders (6): Jonathan Araúz, Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Travis Shaw, Trevor Story

Outfielders (3): Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez, Alex Verdugo

Infielder/Outfielders (2): Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández

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Joining Taylor on the injured list to begin the season are fellow southpaws James Paxton and Chris Sale.

(Picture of Travis Shaw and Xander Bogaerts: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)