FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Pitchers Marcus Walden and Bobby Poyner are your surprise 2018 Red Sox, clearing up the Red Sox’ 25-man roster picture ahead of Opening Day.
Brandon Workman was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, leaving the righty Walden as a long man. Poyner is the lone lefty in the bullpen. (Justin Haley was also re-assigned to minor league camp on Monday).
The Red Sox rotation has also been named, in order of games they are scheduled to pitch: Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Hector Velazquez and Brian Johnson.
“As long as they’re healthy Thursday, but they won it. They pitched well,” manager Alex Cora said Monday afternoon. “They did an outstanding job throughout spring training. When I talked about it yesterday, when you talk about spring training stats and you get caught up: it’s not about the numbers. You see the stuff and how they went about the hitters, the weapons, the pitches they can use and we feel they’re going to help us out right now.
“I know [Workman] has been here for a while and he’ll be part of this. It takes more than 25 guys to win a World Series. It takes more than 40. You have guys, you never expect them in the offseason that they were going to be part of this. . . . Obviously, [Workman's] disappointed. He’ll be all right. He’ll go to Pawtucket, he’ll compete, and at some point we’re going to need him and he’s going to get outs at the big league level.”
Walden, 29, had a 3.92 ERA in 29 games at Triple-A Pawtucket last season, 15 of them starts. Poyner, 25, had a 1.49 ERA across High-A and Double-A last year. He’s skipping Triple-A.
A few other roster notes:
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• Steven Wright went to the 10-day disabled list on Monday, and he also got a PRP injection in his surgically repaired left knee. Wright cannot serve his 15-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy unless he is healthy and able to be on the active roster. So, whenever his time on the DL is up, he still has the suspension looming. He’s out of the picture until late April at the earliest.
• Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz were officially listed on the DL, as expected. E-Rod is to buy the whole team dinner on Tuesday, Cora emphasized, because coach Carlos Febles gave him No. 57, which is what E-Rod wanted. He wanted No. 57 because it belonged to Johan Santana.
• Dustin Pedroia will be traveling with the Red Sox as opposed to remaining in Florida to rehab his right knee. Cora thinks it will be "special" to have Pedroia on hand as Cora’s managerial career begins. “It’ll be special for me, I think it’s special for him too,” Cora said. “He hates the fact that he’s not going to be in the lineup. I know it’s special, it means a lot to both of us. And the rehab is very important to be around us . . . So he’ll travel with us. He’ll get close, then he’ll disappear and go somewhere, either here or wherever he has to go to get his at-bats and we’ll go from there.” Pedroia is to be in Boston as well.