Another long, baseball-free winter has come to an end. The Boston Red Sox will take the field on Feb. 21 for their first spring training game of the season.
While most teams hold off on playing their top stars early in camp, there are still several players Red Sox fans will want to watch as they face the Northeastern University Huskies at JetBlue Park on Friday.
Manager Alex Cora initially announced the team’s starting lineup on Feb. 19, but a few adjustments have been made since. Roman Anthony was originally set to play left field but will no longer participate after being hit on the arm by a pitch on Feb. 20. Though he’s experiencing some soreness, reports indicate he is expected to recover quickly. Trayce Thompson will take his place in the lineup. Additionally, the Sox have moved Abraham Toro to designated hitter and shifted Triston Casas to first base.
Cora had previously mentioned that the designated hitter spot was open and that the catchers were being considered, but instead, Toro has been slotted in, with Mark Kolozsvary set to handle catching duties.
Red Sox’s first spring training lineup features two top prospects, other rising stars
The highly touted “Big Three” prospects headlined Cora’s initial lineup, and Red Sox fans can expect to see plenty of them throughout spring training. Anthony and Kristian Campbell are both competing for spots on the Opening Day roster, while Mayer is a less likely candidate. His 2024 season was cut short by a lower back injury, and he has yet to make his Triple-A debut.
This offseason, the Red Sox added Abraham Toro as a right-handed depth piece at second base. Toro has played in the majors for four different teams, most recently the Athletics, where he posted a .240/.293/.350 slash line over 94 games.
Boston is also excited about outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who had such a strong 2024 season that the team protected him in the Rule 5 Draft despite only reaching Double-A. The 22-year-old climbed three levels in the minors last year, much like Campbell, finishing the season with the Sea Dogs. Over 107 games, he slashed .286/.356/.536 with an .892 OPS.
On the pitching side, 28-year-old right-hander Brian Van Belle made nine starts among his 30 appearances for the WooSox last season. He recorded a 4.42 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 30 walks over 93.2 innings.
The Red Sox will first take on Northeastern before turning their attention to MLB competition. Their Grapefruit League schedule begins on Feb. 22 with a matchup against the Rays.
