RED SOX : News & Notes March 11,2014.

RED SOX : NEWS & NOTES
March 11,2014.




~Lester lined up for 'Opening Day' :Red Sox manager John Farrell confirmed Monday that the way his rotation is currently lined up could well be the way it stays when the season starts.Lefty ace Jon Lester, on the mound Monday for his Grapefruit League debut, is positioned perfectly to open the season March 31 at Camden Yards against the Orioles. This would be Lester's fourth consecutive Opening Day start.John Lackey, who pitches Tuesday's home Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, would likely pitch the second game in Baltimore.Southpaw Felix Doubront, who will work in a Minor League game in Wednesday's team off-day, could slot in as the starter in the finale of the three-game series against the Orioles.Jake Peavy and Clay Buchholz are the top two candidates to pitch the home opener at Fenway against the Brewers on April 4.
"All things playing out, health and otherwise, that's kind of the way things are rolling," Farrell said of his current rotation order.Peavy, who is recovering from a laceration of his left index finger sustained in a mishap with a fishing knife, will make his first start of Spring Training on Thursday.Though Buchholz clearly has the track record and the stuff to be a No. 2 or 3 starter, the Red Sox are being conservative with him because of the shoulder problems he experienced last season.

~Sizemore to play back-to-back games : Now that Grady Sizemore feels healthy again for the first time in years, he's trying to regain his feel for the game.The Red Sox center fielder went 1-for-3 on Monday is expected to start again Tuesday, marking his first back-to-back appearances this spring."It's a little bit of a work in progress," said Sizemore. "I was able to get some positive at-bats in there, see some pitches and work the count. It's still not as comfortable as I would like it to be, I guess."That shouldn't come as a surprise, considering Sizemore missed the last two seasons.

~Batting Order taking shape : The 2014 Red Sox were starting to take shape Monday. Sizemore led off, followed by Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz, Napoli, Daniel Nava, Victorino, Xander Bogaerts, Pierzynski and Middlebrooks."Now to put everybody in the same lineup, particularly getting Vic back on the field and obviously David is starting to swing the bat with a little bit better timing, it's good to see the flow of the game unfold as it did today," said manager John Farrell.Three weeks from Monday, the Red Sox will be pleased if they can send the same starting nine to the mound, led by the same pitcher."Any time Jon Lester walks to the mound, it's a good day," said Farrell.

~Gomes hits wall : Jonny Gomes smacked into the padded wall along the left field line chasing a ball in the ninth inning. He banged his left knee but stayed in the game.

~Victorino gets hit by pitch :Victorino was held back to recover from offseason thumb surgery and to do extra work strengthening groin muscles that were problematic last season and ironically he was hit by a Jake Odorizzi pitch in his first at bat.

~Craig Breslow to begin work ( finally ) :Craig Breslow will throw off the mound on Tuesday for the first time. It's a "strong possibility" he'll be on the Opening Day roster according to Farrell. The Red Sox and Breslow insist there is no injury. But the delay suggests that the very least, there's preventative maintenance involved with his shoulder.