After a long spring, the Red Sox are finally ready to play some baseball that counts.

The Sox wrapped up their spring training slate with a 4-2 win over the Twins on Saturday and will now turn their attention to Monday’s Opening Day matchup with the Yankees in the Bronx.

Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy joined NESN Daily one final time from JetBlue Park in Fort Myers to break down the highs and lows of training camp and offer their predictions for the upcoming regular season.

Check it out in the video above.

Boston added plenty of new faces in the offseason, both to the roster and on the coaching staff, so it’s hard to figure out what to expect in 2013. The Sox should be very much improved, but will their overhaul be enough to vault them into contention in the American League East?

We’ll find that out before long, but in the meantime, there were some interesting developments throughout spring training. The emergence of Jackie Bradley Jr. probably stands out to most, but it’s hardly the only takeaway. The pitching staff performed admirably, a few other young faces turned heads, and some veterans look poised to bounce back from last season’s struggles in a big way.

Spring training hardly dictates how a team will perform when the regular season kicks off, but some of what happened over the last month and a half will hold weight as we move forward. Check out the link below to see the Red Sox’ biggest takeaways from spring training.

Click here to see the Red Sox’ spring training takeaways >>

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Final, Red Sox 4-2:

The Sox finish their Grapefruit League schedule with a 17-17-1 record. On Monday, the slate will be wiped clean when the Sox Red visit the Yankees to kick off the 2013 regular season.

Felix Doubront went five scoreless innings in his final spring tune-up on Saturday. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out six.

Boston’s offense was fueled by a two-hit day from Daniel Nava, who figures to play a prominent bench role this season after putting together a solid spring.

Monday’s season opener will kick off at 1:05 p.m. ET. NESN’s television coverage will begin at 11 a.m., so be sure to tune in — even if that means setting your alarm or calling in sick. We’ll also, of course, have live blog coverage of Monday’s opener right here at NESN.com. I hope to see you all then.

Have a good night everyone, and have a happy Easter.

End 8th, Red Sox 4-1: It was a quick inning for Jared Burton.

Burton retired Mike Carp, David Renfroe and Alberto Rosario in order. Carp flew out, and Renfroe and Rosario popped out.

Joel Hanrahan is now coming on to pitch for Boston. And it’s actually a save situation this time around. The regular season really is upon us.

Mid 8th, Red Sox 4-1: The Twins got on the scoreboard against Andrew Bailey in the eighth. (Feel free to blame me for mentioning his seven-outing scoreless streak.)

With a random cast in for the Red Sox, Harold Garcia grounded to the new second baseman, Mookie Betts. Betts made the play, but his throw to first was wide, which allowed Garcia to move up to second base.

The inning didn’t get any easier from there. Wilkin Ramirez singled into left field, as did Brian Dinkelman two batters later. Dinkelman’s hit brought home Garcia with Minnesota’s first run.

Doug Bernier grounded into a double play to end the inning.

End 7th, Red Sox 4-0: Brian Duensing took over, and he enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded out to first base, putting him at 0-for-2 in this one. Keury De La Cruz — who entered the game for Shane Victorino — grounded out. Pedro Ciriaco popped out.

Andrew Bailey is coming on for Boston. Bailey hasn’t allowed a run in his last seven outings — a span of 6 2/3 innings.

Mid 7th, Red Sox 4-0: Andrew Miller took us into the seventh-inning stretch with a very good inning.

Miller got Danny Lehmann to fly out, and he then struck out Evan Bigley and Eduardo Escobar. Escobar went down swinging on a nasty slider low and away.

End 6th, Red Sox 4-0: Tyler Robertson pitched the sixth inning, and he kept Minnesota’s deficit at four runs.

The inning started off in a rather strange way. Mitch Maier, who has been banged up this spring, hit a soft, little, looping popup to second base that Brian Dinkelman could have played in the air. Instead, Dinkelman let it drop in, and he played it on a bounce. The play fooled first baseman Dan Rohlfing, who didn’t cover the bag because he thought Dinkelman was going to catch it on the fly, and Maier was able to reach.

The baserunner didn’t mean much, though. Daniel Nava flew out to center field, and Jose Iglesias grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 4-0: Koji Uehara keeps showing why he could be one of the league’s more underrated pickups.

Uehara retired the two hitters he faced in the sixth, bringing his spring scoreless mark to 9 2/3 innings. The right-hander has 12 strikeouts in that span after striking out Dan Rohlfing.

Jeremy Kehrt took over for Uehara after that, and two guys quickly reached base. Brian Dozier reached on an error charged to David Renfroe, and Pedro Florimon singled into left field.

Kehrt escaped the inning unscathed by getting Daniel Ortiz to fly out to Jackie Bradley Jr., who is rocking some sick sunglasses in left field.

End 5th, Red Sox 4-0: Josh Roenicke, who retired the last out of the fourth inning for the Twins, came back out to pitch the fifth. He made quick work of the Sox despite issuing a leadoff walk.

Mike Carp earned the free pass to lead off the inning, but Roenicke wiped him off the bases by inducing a 6-4-3 double play.

The inning ended with David Ross — pinch-hitting for Jarrod Saltalamacchia — striking out.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 4-0: Felix Doubront put a couple of runners on, but again he managed to keep the Twins scoreless.

Aaron Hicks, who will be Minnesota’s starting center fielder after a very nice spring, singled into left field to lead things off. He would move up to second base when a pitch got away from Doubront and plunked Joe Mauer.

From there, the left-hander buckled down.

Josh Willingham struck out swinging on a halfhearted cut at a high fastball. Trevor Plouffe then hit a slow roller down to third that David Renfroe — who entered the game for Will Middlebrooks before the inning — gloved. Renfroe stepped on the bag to record the force out.

Doubront ended the inning — and perhaps his outing — by getting Chris Parmelee to bounce out to first.

End 4th, Red Sox 4-0: Jackie Bradley Jr. really had a chance to put an exclamation point on his spring, but Mike Pelfrey battled back to strike out the outfielder with the bases loaded.

Still, the Red Sox managed to push across two runs.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Daniel Nava and Jose Iglesias each singled, which loaded the bases with one out. (A Jonny Gomes fly out was mixed in.)

Bradley got to a hitter’s count at 3-1, but he was unable to connect on either of his hearty cuts after that. Pelfrey pulled the string on Bradley to run the count full, and Bradley fanned on the next pitch, which had great downward movement.

The threat wasn’t over, though, and Shane Victorino came through with a two-run single into right field. Second baseman Brian Dozier probably should have made the play, but the ball kicked up over his glove when he went into a slide.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 2-0: The fourth inning was Doubront’s best. He retired the side in order for the first time.

Doubront struck out both Dan Rohlfing and Pedro Florimon while working a 1-2-3 frame.

The Red Sox made a few substitutions prior to the inning, and Jackie Bradley Jr. is now in the game. He came on for Jacoby Ellsbury in center field.

Pedro Ciriaco and Mike Carp also came on, while Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli exited.

End 3rd, Red Sox 2-0: The Red Sox threatened to score for the third straight inning, but Mike Pelfrey managed to work around a couple of baserunners.

Pelfrey got two quick outs in the inning. Jacoby Ellsbury nearly lined a base hit into right field, but second baseman Brian Dozier made a fantastic, diving play for the first out.

Shane Victorino then threatened to bloop one into left field. Initially, it looked like trouble, as three players converged in the sun-filled outfield. Josh Willingham called for it, though, and he made the play for the second out.

After that, Dustin Pedroia singled into left field and Mike Napoli got hit by a pitch. Will Middlebrooks then gave one a ride to right, but Wilkin Ramirez hauled it in to end the inning.

Mid 3rd, Red Sox 2-0: It was a much smoother inning for Felix Doubront in the third.

Doubront gave up a one-out single to Trevor Plouffe, but that was all the Twins could muster up.

Doubront got three fly outs — from Josh Willingham, Chris Parmelee and Wilkin Ramirez — to keep Minnesota off the board.

End 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Will Middlebrooks led off the inning with a single, and he would later come around with Boston’s second run.

Middlebrooks continued his great spring by singling into center field. His spring average sits at .327.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging, which marks his 18th strikeout of the spring, and Jonny Gomes flew out to center field for the second out.

Middlebrooks then showed another dimension of his game by swiping second base, which proved to be huge, as Daniel Nava followed up with an RBI single into left field.

Mid 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Felix Doubront again got into a little bit of trouble, but again he pitched his way out of it.

Dan Rohlfing led off the inning by driving one toward the triangle in center field. Jacoby Ellsbury showed off his excellent speed and range, though, hauling it in just short of the warning track.

Brian Dozier then lined a hit into left field. As Jonny Gomes went to scoop it up, the ball kicked back a bit, and it rolled past the left fielder. That allowed Dozier to scamper up to second base.

Pedro Florimon would then walk to increase the threat, and Dozier would tag up and move to third when the next batter, Aaron Hicks, flew out to center.

Doubront managed to get out of trouble, though, by striking out the always dangerous Joe Mauer.

End 1st, Red Sox 1-0: Mike Napoli looks ready for the regular season.

Napoli smoked a two-out double off the Green Monster in left field, and the Red Sox have jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with an infield hit. He grounded one up the middle. Second baseman Brian Dozier made a nice, backhanded stop, but he was unable to get the speedy Ellsbury. Clearly, Ellsbury is experiencing no ill effects of the jammed heel he suffered last weekend.

Dustin Pedroia would bounce out to short with Ellsbury running for the second out. Ellsbury moved up to second on the play, and he’d score on Napoli’s hit.

Napoli was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, but it did the trick.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Felix Doubront found himself in some trouble in the first inning, but a big strikeout kept the Twins off the scoreboard.

Aaron Hicks — who is actually featured in my 2013 awards predictions — led off with a harmless fly out to left.

Joe Mauer, batting out of the two spot, then stepped in, and the Red Sox quickly caught a break. Mauer lifted a fly ball down the left-field line into the corner. It appeared to drop directly on the line, but it was ruled foul.

Mauer still came away from the at-bat with a victory, though. He singled into center field to get the offense rolling. After Josh Willingham struck out, Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee also added singles, which loaded the bases for Wilkin Ramirez.

Doubront started off Ramirez with back-to-back curveballs, and he would later strike him out looking on a fastball. Disaster averted.

1:37 p.m.: Felix Doubront’s first pitch is a strike, and we’re under way at JetBlue Park.

1:30 p.m.: We’re a few minutes from game time at JetBlue Park, and there are a few notes to pass along.

First, Clayton Mortensen has received confirmation that he’s made the Opening Day roster. It became obvious that this would be the case after Daniel Bard was optioned to Double-A Portland, but it’s always good to get confirmation from John Farrell himself.

On the injury front, the Red Sox are apparently hoping to get David Ortiz into a minor league game during the week of April 8. Ortiz will travel with the team to New York, but then return to Fort Myers to continue rehabbing from his injury.

Stephen Drew, meanwhile, will remain in Fort Myers, and he’s expected to participate in back-field games. He’s currently on the seven-day concussion disabled list.

I should also take this time to direct you to my 2013 MLB awards predictions. My picks were posted on NESN.com on Saturday, so they’re set in stone. Feel free to rip into me when I’m completely off.

Click here for the 2013 MLB awards predictions >>

11:32 a.m.: Just a friendly reminder that NESN’s coverage of Opening Day on Monday will begin at 11 a.m.

That’s two hours of baseball coverage leading up to the start of the regular season. Anyone else fired up?

11:15 a.m.: The lineup cards are in, and Jackie Bradley Jr. is not in the starting nine.

Getting the start as the designated hitter on Saturday will be Daniel Nava, who earned himself a roster spot with a very impressive spring — even if it may have flown under the radar due to Bradley’s amazing production.

Check out Saturday’s lineup below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Jonny Gomes, LF
Daniel Nava, DH
Jose Iglesias, SS

Felix Doubront, P

10:30 a.m.: As the Jackie Bradley Jr. watch continues, we’ve got some news to pass along.

Bradley will travel with the team to New York, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. That seems to suggest that Bradley has a good chance of making the major league roster, although nothing is official. I’ll certainly keep my ears open and my eyes peeled, though, as this is obviously the biggest decision facing the Red Sox right now.

8 a.m ET: One game. That’s all that separates the Red Sox from the regular season.

The Sox finish up their Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday with a game against the Twins, who defeated Boston 8-3 on Friday. The Red Sox enter the game with a 16-17-1 record this spring, although let’s be honest, none of that really matters.

What really matters is that the Red Sox are two days from starting up the 2013 regular season in the Bronx, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what this season will hold for Boston. The Sox have certainly had their share of bright spots this spring, though, including the impressive performance of the starting rotation, the apparent change in clubhouse culture and the emergence of Jackie Bradley Jr.

Bradley’s Opening Day fate still hangs in the balance, but it’d be surprising if he didn’t open up the season with the big league club. Since the Sox decided on Thursday night not to purchase Ryan Sweeney’s contract, it seems that the only thing separating Bradley from the majors is clearing a spot on the 40-man roster and making a formal announcement.

We’ll see if that announcement comes on Saturday, although manager John Farrell said he does expect to take his time with the decision.

Felix Doubront will get his final tune-up on Saturday. He’s scheduled to be followed by Joel Hanrahan, Koji Uehara, Andrew Miller and Andrew Bailey.

Saturday’s first pitch is expected to be delivered at 1:35 p.m. ET. Coverage of the game will be provided on NESNplus, as the Bruins will be in action on NESN. If you’re unsure as to what channel is NESNplus for you, click the link below to view Saturday’s listings.

Click here to view Saturday’s NESNplus listings >>

Final, Twins 8-3:

Boston’s offense was held in check throughout most of the game, and the Twins earned an 8-3 victory to improve their Grapefruit League record to 16-16. With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 16-17-1.

Ryan Dempster got the start for Boston, and he pitched four innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out four in what was his final tune-up before the regular season.

After Dempster departed, Junichi Tazawa, Clayton Mortensen, Marco Duarte and Robby Scott saw work.

One more spring training game is all that separates the Red Sox and the regular season. That contest will come on Saturday afternoon at JetBlue Park, where the Sox will host these same Twins.

Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET. Coverage of the game can be found on NESNplus, with the Bruins’ game airing on NESN. To find out which channel is NESNplus for you, check out the listings at the link below.

Click here for NESNplus channel listings >>

End 8th, Twins 8-2: The Red Sox nearly kept the Twins off the scoreboard, but the sun ensured Minnesota would add another run.

Daniel Ortiz led off the inning by lining a ball into left  field. Mike Carp charged in, and he made a nice, sliding grab for the inning’s first out.

Pedro Florimon then singled into center field to make the new pitcher, Robby Scott, work a little bit.

Scott got Clete Thomas — who pinch hit for Jamey Carroll — to fly out to center, but a fly ball off the bat of Doug Bernier proved to be much more problematic.

Right fielder Bryce Brentz lost Bernier’s fly ball in the sun, and the ball dropped in. Florimon would score all the way from first base, and Bernier ended up with a double.

James Beresford grounded out to end the inning.

Mid 8th, Twins 7-2: The Red Sox got one back in the eighth, but they’ll still have a ways to go in the ninth.

Pedro Ciriaco connected on a one-out triple into the right-center field gap. He would then be lifted for a pinch runner in Derrik Gibson, who would score when Ronald Bermudez lined a base hit into left  field.

Bryce Brentz grounded into a 5-4 force out for the second out of the inning, and Justin Henry ended the frame by grounding out to second base.

End 7th, Twins 7-1: The Twins put up three runs in the seventh.

After Pedro Florimon popped out to third base, Jamey Carroll singled up the middle. Carroll would move up on a wild pitch by Marco Duarte.

With Carroll on second, Doug Bernier singled into left field. Mike Carp juggled it a bit, but the Twins opted to hold Carroll at third base.

James Beresford ensured the run would score, though. In his first at-bat of the game, Beresford doubled to left, scoring Carroll and moving Bernier to third.

Eric Fryer flew out to right field for the second out. The ball wasn’t hit deep enough for Bernier to tag up, and Duarte was one out away from limiting the Twins to just one run.

Unfortunately for Boston, Dan Rohlfing kept the inning alive with a two-run single into right field, putting Minnesota’s lead at 7-1.

Wilkin Ramirez would single up the middle to continue the threat, but Duarte struck out Eduardo Escobar to finally end the inning.

Mid 7th, Twins 4-1: Bruce Pugh followed up Clayton Mortensen’s easy, 1-2-3 inning by making quick work of the Red Sox in the seventh.

Will Middlebrooks, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jonny Gomes were retired in order. The trio is now a combined 0-for-8 in this game.

Marco Duarte will come on to pitch for Boston in the bottom of the seventh.

In addition to Duarte taking over on the mound, the Sox have made a number of other subs. Michael Almanzar, Blake Swihart and Mike Carp are in. Will Middlebrooks, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jackie Bradley Jr. are out.

End 6th, Twins 4-1: Clayton Mortensen learned that he won a spot in the Boston bullpen. Surely, he hopes most outings go the way his sixth inning did.

Mortensen made quick work of the Twins, retiring Wilkin Ramirez, Eduardo Escobar and Daniel Ortiz in order.

Ramirez struck out, Escobar popped out and Ortiz flew out.

The Red Sox have also made some substitutions. Ronald Bermudez, Bryce Brentz, Justin Henry and Daniel Nava are in. Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino, Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli are out.

Mid 6th, Twins 4-1: The Red Sox couldn’t muster up a hit through the first five innings, but they ended the drought in the sixth, and it led to a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr. — being the on-base machine that he is — walked to lead off the inning. He would advance to second two batters later, when Jacoby Ellsbury lined a one-out single into right field.

Shane Victorino flew out to center for the second out, but Dustin Pedroia ensured the Red Sox came away from the inning with something. Pedroia singled into right field, which brought home Bradley with Boston’s first run.

Mike Napoli struck out to end the inning, but the Sox are chipping away.

End 5th, Twins 4-0: Junichi Tazawa is an overlooked member of Boston’s bullpen, but he was one of the team’s lone bright spots in 2012, and he could provide valuable innings in 2013.

Tazawa struggled a bit in the fifth inning, though.

Jamey Carroll shot a single through the right side. Brian Dozier then blooped a base hit just in front of right fielder Shane Victorino to set up runners at first and second to begin the inning.

Things got even hairier from there, with Trevor Plouffe working a walk to load the bases.

At that point, it was all about damage control, and Tazawa actually did a pretty good job of minimizing the damage.

Eric Fryer grounded to Mike Napoli, who looked to start a double play by firing to second base. Pedro Ciriaco received the throw for the first out, but he was unable to chuck it back to first to complete the twin killing because Tazawa didn’t get over to cover the bag in time. That allowed a run to score.

With runners at the corners and one out, Tazawa got out of the inning by getting Chris Parmelee to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Parmelee didn’t agree with the call, but hey, what can you do?

Mid 5th, Twins 3-0: The Red Sox got a baserunner, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia almost made it a 3-2 game. The key word, however, is “almost.”

After Mike Napoli popped out to start the inning, Will Middlebrooks earned a walk.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia then made a home run bid to right field. The Boston catcher certainly got enough of it, but the ball hooked just foul. In other words, it was just a long strike.

Salty would eventually strike out for the second out, and Jonny Gomes followed suit by going down swinging.

The Red Sox are still without a hit in this one.

End 4th, Twins 3-0: Walks kill.

Ryan Dempster issued back-to-back walks to Ryan Doumit and Chris Parmelee to begin the inning, and it helped the Twins extend their lead.

After the two walks, Wilkin Ramirez grounded into a force out. Pedro Ciriaco went down to his knee to make a play, and he fired to second to get an out. That set up runners at the corners for Eduardo Escobar, who was responsible for driving in Minnesota’s first two runs via a two-run double back in the second inning.

Escobar again came through. He singled into right field, which scored Doumit with the Twins’ third run of the game.

Dempster escaped any further damage by getting a fly out and a ground out, but the way the Red Sox are swinging the bats in this one, a three-run deficit seems pretty daunting.

Mid 4th, Twins 2-0: The Red Sox haven’t been putting together quality at-bats in this one.

Casey Fien took over for Cole De Vries, who didn’t allow a hit in the first three innings, and he promptly struck out the side.

Fien struck out Jacoby Ellsbury swinging on a slider low and away.

Victorino then struck out, lowering his spring average to .171. The Flyin’ Hawaiian, of course, played in the World Baseball Classic, but it appears he’s still trying to shake off the rust.

Dustin Pedroia finished the inning by fanning as well.

End 3rd, Twins 2-0: Ryan Dempster put his second-inning struggles behind him and pitched a 1-2-3 third.

Dempster started off the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to Jamey Carroll and Brian Dozier.

Trevor Plouffe then put on a nice battle before Dempster got him to fly out.

The luckiest guy of the inning, though, may have been a Hammond Stadium lemonade vendor, who just missed getting hit by a Plouffe foul ball. That would have been an expensive strike.

Mid 3rd, Twins 2-0: Cole De Vries breezed through his first trip through the Red Sox’ order.

De Vries pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the third, and he’s faced the minimum nine hitters through three innings. The only baserunner he allowed came on a walk to Mike Napoli in the second inning, but he took care of that by inducing a double play.

In the third, Jonny Gomes grounded out to third base for the first out. Jackie Bradley Jr., who continues to be the most popular guy in Boston, then lined out to right field for the second out.

Pedro Ciriaco ended the inning with a fly out to left.

End 2nd, Twins 2-0: The second inning didn’t go quite as smoothly for Ryan Dempster.

Dempster, who pitched a 1-2-3 first, started off by striking out Ryan Doumit on a pitch in the dirt, but trouble then ensued.

Dempster missed with an inside curveball to walk Chris Parmelee, and Wilkin Ramirez followed up with a line-drive double down the left-field line. That put runners at second and third for Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar knocked in the game’s first two runs by poking a double over the head of left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who was playing shallow.

Dempster minimized the damage by getting Daniel Ortiz to fly out to left-center and Pedro Florimon to ground out to short, but the two-run double is the difference in this game as the Red Sox come up to take their third cuts of the day.

1:29 p.m.: Quick note: Tigers ace Justin Verlander has agreed to a five-year contract extension through the 2019 season, with a vesting option for the 2020 season.

Verlander will earn $180 million over the next seven seasons, and the option is worth $22 million, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. That means the deal is the richest ever given to a pitcher, and it could total $202 million.

Must be nice.

Mid 2nd, 0-0: Mike Napoli worked a leadoff walk, but it didn’t materialize into any threat.

After the free pass, Cole De Vries got Will Middlebrooks to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play. Middlebrooks has been swinging a hot bat this spring, so inducing the twin killing is no small feat.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia flew out to right field to end the inning.

End 1st, 0-0: Ryan Dempster started his day off with a 1-2-3 first inning as well.

Jamey Carroll led off for the Twins, and he hit a bouncer to the right side. Dustin Pedroia was able to range out into shallow right field to make the play, and he fired to first for out No. 1.

Dempster then came back and struck out Brian Dozier, before then getting Trevor Plouffe to fly out to center field to end the inning.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Nice first inning for Cole De Vries, who has been impressive this spring.

De Vries entered the game having allowed just one run and four hits in 14 innings, and he started off on the right foot in this one by enjoying an easy, 1-2-3 frame.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off by chopping one over the mound. De Vries may have nicked it with his glove, but it wasn’t enough to change the ball’s course. Brian Dozier made the play and fired to first for the first out.

Shane Victorino made the second out by popping up into foul territory. Catcher Ryan Doumit made the play about 10 steps up the third-base line.

Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

1:08 p.m.: Cole De Vries’ first pitch is outside for a ball, and we’re under way…

1 p.m.: We’re about five minutes away from game time, but there are a couple of notes to pass along.

David Ortiz continues to take part in baseball activities without any setbacks, which is something manager John Farrell views as a positive. There’s still no timetable for the slugger’s return, though.

As far as Ryan Sweeney, it’s unclear whether the outfielder will accept an assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket. WEEI.com reported that Sweeney isn’t inclined to do so, meaning he’d seek work elsewhere, but nothing is official.

Sweeney has until midnight to decide whether or not to opt out of his contract. The Red Sox would then have 48 hours to decide whether or not to add him to the 25-man roster or allow him to walk as a free agent.

And for those who may have missed Thursday’s other transactions, Daniel Bard was optioned to Double-A Portland, Mauro Gomez and Brock Holt were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, and Stephen Drew was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list.

Click here to read more about Bard’s demotion >>

11:25 a.m.: The Red Sox’ roster is really starting to take shape, but the most important question remains unanswered. What is the club going to do with Jackie Bradley Jr.?

The decision regarding Bradley, who has ripped the Grapefruit League to shreds, has been well-documented, and we can debate the situation until we’re blue in the face. The Sox would be wise to make a decision — whatever it may be — relatively soon, though, as keeping the outfielder in limbo doesn’t exactly accomplish much.

With that said, I’d be very surprised if Bradley doesn’t start the season in the majors. Bradley, Mike Carp and Ryan Sweeney seemed to be battling for the final two roster spots, and the Red Sox opted not to offer Sweeney a major league contract on Thursday. Mike Carp has since made the team, so it seems logical to assume Bradley will man the final spot, although no official decision has been made.

The biggest thing that the Red Sox need to be sure of is that Bradley gets everyday at-bats. There’s no sense in bringing the 22-year-old up if he’s not going to play every day, especially since bringing him up already jeopardizes them losing a year of team control.

Bradley will be in the lineup on Friday. He’ll play left field and bat eighth.

The rest of Friday’s lineups are below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Jonny Gomes, DH
Jackie Bradley Jr., LF
Pedro Ciriaco, SS

Ryan Dempster, P

Twins
Jamey Carroll, DH
Brian Dozier, 2B
Trevor Plouffe, 3B
Ryan Doumit, C
Chris Parmelee, 1B
Wilkin Ramirez, CF
Eduardo Escobar, LF
Daniel Ortiz, RF
Pedro Florimon, SS

Cole De Vries, P

8 a.m. ET: What’s the sense in playing? The Red Sox are already Mayor’s Cup champs.

Boston secured its second straight Mayor Cup’s on Thursday night with a 6-1 victory over the Twins. The Sox still have two more games against their Fort Myers brethren to close out spring training, though, and it’ll be Ryan Dempster getting his final tune-up on Friday.

Dempster — like the rest of the Red Sox’ rotation — has been solid this spring. The right-hander enters Friday’s game with a 3.06 ERA (six earned runs in 17 2/3 innings). His last Grapefruit League start came on March 19, and he allowed three earned runs on six hits over five innings. Dempster took the hill during an intrasquad game on Sunday, and he allowed six runs on nine hits, although much of his struggles can be attributed to the extremely windy conditions at Fenway South.

Dempster will be followed on Friday by Junichi Tazawa and Clayton Mortensen. Manager John Farrell said that Mortensen is expected to start the season in the Red Sox’ bullpen, although that became apparent when Daniel Bard was optioned to Double-A Portland on Thursday.

Friday’s action at Hammond Stadium will start up at 1:05 p.m. ET. Be sure to keep it right here for commentary and analysis throughout the game.

The big question — whether Jackie Bradley Jr. will be taking the field in the Bronx on Monday — is still unanswered, but two other players were assured spots Friday morning. Manager John Farrell said the roster will likely be finalized Sunday.

Mike Carp and Daniel Nava have been told they’ve made the roster, according to several reports. While Nava gave the shorthanded Red Sox a boost throughout last season, Carp was acquired Feb. 20 in a trade with the Mariners as the Red Sox looked for depth at a couple of positions.

“They just told me I’m on and told me what my role would be — left field, first base, a backup role,” he said, according to ESPN. “Get ready for the year. It’s going to be a fun year. It’s going to be a little different. I’ve always gone in being an everyday-type player — try to get as many at-bats as possible. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment period as far as that goes, but it’s not anything I don’t think I can’t handle.”

Carp played four years in Seattle, batting .255 with 18 home runs. His best year was 2011, when he hit .276 with 12 dingers in 79 games before being sidelined by injuries last year.

“I knew I was in a good position, especially playing first base and having the experience there,” Carp said, according to The Boston Globe. “But you never know until you get the final decision from the skipper himself. It was nice this morning to come, get pulled in the office and told. It’s a good feeling. You can have a good day and get ready for tomorrow and that flight to New York.”

While Carp and Nava have a spot, Bradley was waiting it out Friday.

“They haven’t given me any inclinations,” he said, according to ESPN. “Just playing the waiting game. I’ll be sitting right here in my lonely locker, just waiting.”

The Red Sox open the season against the Yankees on Monday at 1 p.m. Bradley is likely to get the final outfield spot now that Boston has passed on Lyle Overbay and Ryan Sweeney.

Jon Lester

A day after Lester closed the book on his spring with another solid outing, Buchholz capped off his impressive preseason with four scoreless innings against the Twins. Buchholz walks away from this year’s Grapefruit League slate with a 0.79 ERA (two runs in 22 2/3 innings), 0.79 WHIP and .152 batting average against.

Buchholz looks focused, confident, healthy and poised to rebound in 2013, which should bode well for the Red Sox, who have received tremendous pitching since the start of camp.

What’s amazing is that as impressive as Buchholz’s spring numbers are, Lester’s are even better. Lester finished his spring with a 0.75 ERA (two runs in 24 innings), 0.50 WHIP and .101 batting average against. His ERA tops among pitchers with at least 15 innings, while Buchholz’s minuscule figure ranks second.

That’s the definition of a two-headed monster, and such effectiveness tends to have a trickle-down effect throughout the rest of the rotation. It’s certainly been the case this spring, with Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront and even John Lackey — who is returning after Tommy John surgery — looking sharp.

Entering Thursday, Boston’s starters led the majors with a 2.91 ERA (35 runs in 108 1/3 innings). The next best mark came from the Justin Verlander-led Tigers’ rotation, which posted a 3.46 mark. Red Sox starters also lead the majors this spring in opponent average and WHIP.

Boston’s bullpen has been great as well. After Buchholz departed on Thursday, four others – Joel Hanrahan, Koji Uehara, Alfredo Aceves and Jeremy Kehrt — turned in solid efforts in a 6-1 win over the Twins. Prior to Thursday’s victory, the Red Sox’ entire pitching staff ranked first in the majors in ERA (3.98), WHIP (1.27), opponent average (.246), opponent on-base percentage (.311) and opponent OPS (.709).

So what does all this mean? Well, in reality, nothing. It’s not as if these numbers are going to carry over or guarantee regular season success. But since we’re only six months removed from a season in which pitching proved to be the team’s Achilles’ heel, it’s hard not to be encouraged.

Manager John Farrell and pitching coach Juan Nieves have been working hard in many areas, but they have really been focusing on getting the team’s pitchers to be more aggressive. First-pitch strikes have been a point of emphasis, and this year’s coaching staff really wants to see pitchers work at a faster pace than in year’s past.

The results have been great so far, and Lester and Buchholz are the two most prominent examples. Suddenly, it looks as if they’re pitching more against the opponent than against themselves, and that should have teams worried when the regular season kicks off.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

The Red Sox have not made an announcement regarding Bradley, but outfielder Ryan Sweeney has not been offered a major league contract, according to multiple reports. Sweeney figured to be competing with Bradley and Mike Carp for one of Boston’s two final roster spots.

Sweeney has 24 hours to decide whether he’ll accept a minor league assignment with the Red Sox, but according to WEEI.com, the veteran is not inclined to do so.

Bradley’s Opening Day status has been up in the air despite the 22-year-old being hands-down the team’s best player this spring. Bradley’s average sits at .441 (26-for-59) following Thursday’s game, during which he went 1-for-1 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base after entering the game as a pinch runner in the seventh. His on-base percentage is a Grapefruit League-best .521.

The argument against starting Bradley in the majors to begin the season has been that he only needs 11 days in the minors for the Red Sox to gain another year of team control. Ultimately, though, it looks as if the Sox are willing to make that sacrifice in order to continue riding Bradley’s momentum.

“We’ve allowed him to go this deep in camp, so we’re not afraid or unwilling to break camp with him,” manager John Farrell told reporters Thursday. “If that were the case, we would have sent him out four weeks ago.”

Bradley has thrived, even despite the added pressure over the last couple of weeks. Now, he’s just a formal announcement away from officially becoming a big leaguer.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Daniel Bard

Bard could very well find himself back in the bigs this season, but the decision to send the right-hander to Double-A shows that he has a ways to go before the Sox consider such a move. The Red Sox don’t want to see Bard just impress in a small sample. Instead, they want consistency out of the reliever.

“I think also the fact of, sometimes guys go to Triple-A, they think, ‘If I have a couple of good starts or a good game, a couple of six or seven games in a row when I’m good, oh, OK I’m back.’ No, this is a process,” pitching coach Juan Nieves told reporters. “Consistency is going to be very important. Not only from the performance itself, is how his consistency is with his delivery and his thoughts. Everything that we incorporate before, the plan is going to be.”

Optioning Bard to Double-A is a demotion in the literal sense, but Nieves doesn’t want the 27-year-old to view it as such.

“It’s not a demotion. It’s just, we want him to understand that there’s a process,” Nieves said. “It’s not that he goes to Triple-A and has two good outings and, ‘I’m ready.’ He knows it’s going to take time. He got to where he was in a while too. The way back is not just one or two outings.”

Bard showed flashes of his former — effective — self this spring. His velocity was back in the high 90’s, and at times, he demonstrated an uncanny ability to make hitters swing and miss. Bard recorded 10 strikeouts in eight innings, and his command often looked better than it was during last season’s disaster.

Bard also fell into some old habits, though, and that led to three recent unimpressive outings. He allowed three runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter in an inning against the Orioles on March 19. Then, he gave up a single, walked two and hit a batter in a minor league game on March 22. In his most recent outing against the Marlins on Wednesday, he completely tanked, allowing three earned runs on three hits and a walk.

Bard’s Grapefruit League ERA ballooned to 6.75 on Wednesday, and the lackluster performance all but ended his quest to crack Boston’s Opening Day roster.

In the battle for the Red Sox’ final bullpen spot, Bard was already playing catch-up. Clayton Mortensen was the other pitcher vying for the spot, and unlike Bard (who has three options remaining), Mortensen doesn’t have any options remaining. That means Mortensen would have had to pass through waivers in order for the Red Sox to send him to the minors, and there is a very good chance a team would have put in a claim, thus ending his tenure in Boston.

Mortensen’s option status probably didn’t seal Bard’s fate as much as Bard sealed it himself, though.

The biggest thing plaguing Bard has been his mechanics, and while he did show improvements in that area this spring, it’s clear he’s still a work in progress, particularly when it comes to his arm slot.

“Thought process. Mechanics. His true velocity. There’s more there,” Nieves said. “I know there’s more there, but the consistency of his delivery will be very important; the throwing. We’re not looking for him to be like Greg Maddux, pinpointing, but the ball to be where he wants to be.”

If the ball starts getting to where Bard wants it to be consistently, then he’ll likely find himself where he wants to be; the majors. Until then, he’ll need to go out and prove he can take all of the advice and tutelage he’s been given, and use it to his advantage.

“Listen, Rome was never built in one day. I think his baby steps will bring him back and I’m sure we’ll see the Bard we’ve seen before,” Nieves said. “I’ve seen incredible, great progress from what I saw on video this past winter of how he pitched last year. Oh my god, tremendous strides.”

The fact that Bard still ended up at Double-A to begin the season despite the “tremendous strides” really highlights the magnitude of his downfall. While in the minors, the right-hander’s mental makeup — which some have questioned in the past — will really be tested. If he passes the test, all parties involved should be better off in the long run.

Class is now in session.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Final Red Sox 6-1:

The Sox closed out a 6-1 victory over the Twins with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, and they’ve now secured the Mayor’s Cup for the second straight year.

Clay Buchholz got his final spring start on Thursday, and he was once again fantastic. Buchholz didn’t allow a run in four innings and he struck out six. He’ll end the spring with a 0.79 ERA.

Buchholz was followed on Wednesday by Joel Hanrahan, Koji Uehara, Alfredo Aceves and Jeremy Kehrt. Aceves pitched two innings, and he was the only one to surrender a run.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI ground out from Dustin Pedroia. They’d extend the lead to 3-0 in the sixth inning on a two-run single by David Ross. Boston then put up three more runs of insurance in the eighth. Jackie Bradley Jr. continued to make his case for a spot on the Opening Day roster by going 1-for-1 with a stolen base, two runs and an RBI single after entering the game in the sixth.

Boston has two games remaining on its spring training schedule, and both will be afternoon contests. The Twins will host the Sox at 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday, with Felix Doubront scheduled to get the start for Boston.

End 8th, Red Sox 6-1: Jackie Bradley Jr. survived Thursday’s roster moves, so he decided to pad his resume a bit more.

In his first at-bat of the game, Bradley chopped an RBI single through the right side. Eduardo Escobar probably should have made a play on the ball — or at least had an opportunity to make a play — but it bounced off the end of his glove and into right field.

Before Bradley’s single, Pedro Ciriaco ripped a single into center field and Ryan Sweeney walked.

After Bradley’s single, David Ross hit an RBI ground out and Jose Iglesias slapped an RBI single through the right side. The end result was a three-run inning, and the Red Sox now carry a 6-1 lead into the ninth inning.

Most importantly, the Sox are three outs away from securing the 2013 Mayor’s Cup.

Mid 8th, Red Sox 3-1: Alfredo Aceves wasn’t haunted by the two baserunners he allowed in the seventh inning. In the eighth, he surrendered a run, although it could’ve been worse.

Aceves issued an always dangerous leadoff walk to Pedro Florimon to get the eighth inning rolling. Aaron Hicks followed up with a line drive single into right field, which enabled Florimon to go from first to third.

Aceves picked up the first out with runners at the corners by striking out Danny Lehmann on a nasty sinker down and in. Jonathan Goncalves wasn’t fooled against the right-hander, though. He lined a single into center field to bring home Minnesota’s first run.

At that point, the Twins had first and second with just one out, meaning Aceves was up against the ropes. Fortunately for the Sox, Dan Rohlfing let him off by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play.

It was a relatively routine double play, but it’s hard not to be impressed with how quickly Jose Iglesias gets rid of the ball after fielding it. The rock doesn’t spend much time in the leather; I can tell you that much.

It’s also worth noting that the Red Sox have made some subs in this game. Mike Carp, Ryan Dent, Pedro Ciriaco, Ryan Sweeney and Jackie Bradley Jr. are in. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes are out.

End 7th, Red Sox 3-0: Ryan Pressly, a Rule 5 guy originally drafted by the Red Sox, pitched the seventh for Minnesota. He gave up a two-out double, but otherwise did a nice job.

Pressly, who was an 11th-round pick of the Sox in 2007, picked up two quick outs courtesy of back-to-back strikeouts against Jose Iglesias and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Daniel Nava fared better, though, raising his spring average to .313 with a wall-ball double to left.

Pressly came back to get Dustin Pedroia to fly out. Pedroia is now 0-for-4, although he was responsible for getting the Red Sox on the scoreboard with a first-inning ground out.

Mid 7th, Red Sox 3-0: Alfredo Aceves took over in the seventh. He put a couple of runners on, but ultimately kept Boston’s shutout intact.

Chris Parmelee singled to lead off the inning. Evan Bigley then grounded back to the mound, setting up what should have been an easy double play. Aceves’ throw to second base sailed into center field, though, and that put runners at first and second with no outs.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, the inning didn’t spiral out of control. Aceves settled down nicely after the miscue.

Aceves struck out Trevor Plouffe, and got Wilkin Ramirez to fly out into left-center field. Aceves then came back to record his second strikeout of the inning against Eduardo Escobar, who went down swinging.

End 6th, Red Sox 3-0: The Twins turned to the bullpen in the sixth, and the Red Sox took advantage by tossing two runs up on the scoreboard.

Jared Burton replaced Kevin Correia, and he struck out Mike Napoli to begin the inning. Will Middlebrooks then lined out to third.

That’s when things got much more difficult for Burton.

Shane Victorino ripped a base hit into right field, which was misplayed by Jonathan Goncalves, who just entered the game. The miscue allowed Victorino to move up to second.

Jonny Gomes was plunked to put runners at first and second. He was quickly removed for a pinch runner. It was none other than Jackie Bradley Jr.

Right after Bradley entered the game, he and Victorino executed a double steal to put two runners into scoring position for David Ross. Ross made it count by delivering a two-run single into center.

Alfredo Aceves is coming on to pitch for Boston.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 1-0: Koji Uehara has been tremendous all spring. He gave up a two-out double to Joe Mauer, but he kept Minnesota off the scoreboard.

Uehara has now pitched nine scoreless innings. He’s allowed just four hits and walked two in that span, while also racking up 11 strikeouts.

Uehara’s 10th strikeout victim was Pedro Florimon to lead off the sixth. Aaron Hicks hit the second out of the inning to his counterpart in center field.

Mauer then ensured Uehara would have to work a little bit more. He put an inside-out swing on Uehara’s offering, and planted it off the JetBlue Park Green Monster for a two-bagger.

Uehara got out of the inning, though, by picking up his 11th strikeout of the spring. He pulled the string on Josh Willingham.

End 5th, Red Sox 1-0: The Red Sox loaded the bases, but they were unable to extend the lead.

Jonny Gomes, Jose Iglesias and Jacoby Ellsbury singled — with a David Ross fly out mixed in — to load the bases with one out. It was the first time the Red Sox really threatened against Kevin Correia since the first inning, when two productive outs following an Ellsbury leadoff double resulted in the game’s only run.

Daniel Nava was the first Red Sox hitter to take his cuts with the bases juiced, but he struck out swinging. Nava tried to hold up on a high, two-strike fastball, but he went too far.

Dustin Pedroia then hit a slow roller down to third base. Trevor Plouffe charged in, gloved it, and made a nice, strong throw to first to retire Pedroia and squash the threat.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 1-0: Good stuff from Joel Hanrahan in the fifth. Hanrahan enjoyed a very quick, 1-2-3 inning.

The Boston closer got Trevor Plouffe to pop out to Mike Napoli just inside the first-base line, and then got Wilkin Ramirez to ground out to third base. Hanrahan capped off the inning with an overpowering strikeout of Eduardo Escobar.

Hanrahan now has five straight scoreless outings since giving up four runs in a third of an inning against the Twins on March 7.

End 4th, Red Sox 1-0: Kevin Correia breezed through the fourth.

Mike Napoli, Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino each grounded out harmlessly.

Joel Hanrahan will take over for Clay Buchholz in the fifth inning.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: Clay Buchholz scattered a hit, but also struck out the side.

Buchholz started off the inning by striking out the always dangerous Joe Mauer looking.

Josh Willingham, who walked in his first at-bat, reached base for the second time. He lifted a falling line drive into left field. Jonny Gomes didn’t really get a good break on it, and his diving attempt proved fruitless. The ball fell just under his glove,  which allowed Willingham to reach with one out.

Buchholz bounced back to record back-to-back strikeouts against Chris Parmelee and Ryan Doumit. Neither hitter got the bat off the shoulder.

Buchholz has six strikeouts through four innings.

End 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Jacoby Ellsbury reached base for the second time, but the Red Sox were unable to extend the lead.

Jose Iglesias kicked things off with a harmless ground out to short, and Ellsbury followed up by working a walk.

Daniel Nava, who has had a fantastic spring, nearly smacked one off the wall in left. It got knocked down by the wind, though, and Josh Willingham made the grab on the warning track.

Dustin Pedroia threatened to shoot one through the right side with two outs. Eduardo Escobar made a great, diving play, however, and he fired Pedroia out at first.

Mid 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Clay Buchholz is cruising right along.

Buchholz enjoyed a second straight 1-2-3 inning in the third.

Eduardo Escobar started off the inning by chopping a ground ball to Dustin Pedroia at second. Buchholz followed up the ground out by striking out Pedro Florimon.

Aaron Hicks, who struck out in his first at-bat, flew out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center for the inning’s final out.

End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Shane Victorino reached via an infield single, but Kevin Correia did a nice job of inducing soft contact.

Will Middlebrooks grounded out to short, before Victorino then reached on the infield hit. Jonny Gomes grounded out to third, which allowed Victorino to move up to second, but the Red Sox’ threat would end there.

David Ross ended the inning by grounding out to short.

Mid 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Clay Buchholz enjoyed an easy inning in the second, and it was largely because he was hitting his spots.

Ryan Doumit led off the inning by chopping a grounder to Mike Napoli at first base, and Trevor Plouffe flew out to center.

Buchholz ended the inning with a strikeout of Wilkin Ramirez.

End 1st, Red Sox 1-0: A double and two productive outs has Boston on top.

Jacoby Ellsbury started off the inning by lining a hit into right-center field. Immediately sensing that Wilkin Ramirez had a long way to go, Ellsbury gambled and ended up on second base with a double.

Ellsbury would then move to third on a broken bat ground out by Daniel Nava, and he would score on a ground ball off the bat of Dustin Pedroia.

Mike Napoli ended the inning by popping out to second.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Jackie Bradley Jr. is obviously the more popular name around Boston, but Aaron Hicks is another young, up-and-coming outfielder with a bright future.

Scouts have been raving about Hicks, who is hitting .373 this spring. Clay Buchholz was able to get the best of him in his first at-bat, though. The Boston righty froze Hicks to pick up his first strikeout of the evening.

Joe Mauer was then his usual patient self. Buchholz nearly struck out the All-Star catcher with a 1-2 pitch on the inside corner, but Mauer eventually worked the count full before grounding out to Jose Iglesias at short.

Josh Willingham earned a free pass with two outs, but Buchholz bounced back to get Chris Parmelee to fly out to center.

Home plate umpire Toby Basner had a relatively small strike zone in the first. Buchholz just missed with a few pitches, especially on the inside corner. That could be something to monitor going forward.

7:06 p.m.: Clay Buchholz’s first pitch is a ball, and we’re under way.

7:02 p.m.: The Red Sox and Twins are almost ready to roll at sunny JetBlue Park. The Sox have won four of the first five spring meetings between the two clubs, thus ensuring at least a share of the Mayor’s Cup this year.

6:13 p.m.: The Red Sox made a few roster moves on Thursday. None included Jackie Bradley Jr., who continues to await his Opening Day fate.

We did learn, however, that Daniel Bard will begin the season in the minors.

The Sox announced that Bard has been optioned to Double-A Portland. He’ll head down there to continue working on his mechanics — and whatever else — in an effort to regain his form of a few seasons ago.

Bard, of course, had a disastrous 2012 season, which kicked off with a great deal of uncertainty surrounding his role. The hard-throwing righty never bounced back from the starter-or-reliever debacle of last offseason.

The Red Sox also announced that Stephen Drew has been placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list (retroactive to March 27). That doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Theoretically, Drew could return for Boston’s second game of the season, but I’d venture to say there’s a 99.9 percent chance that won’t happen. Drew hasn’t played in a game since March 7, and as of right now, there’s still not a set date for his return to game action.

Mauro Gomez and Brock Holt were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. That means it’s probably safe to go ahead and buy your Mike Carp and Pedro Ciriaco jerseys.

5:12 p.m.: Jackie Bradley Jr. is still awaiting his roster fate, but he won’t have an opportunity to pad his resume on Thursday — at least to begin the game.

Bradley will be out of the lineup, as the Red Sox’ outfield will instead be patrolled by Jonny Gomes, Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino — from left to right, respectively. That was the original outfield plan before David Ortiz experienced an injury setback and Bradley burst onto the spring scene. It may still be the Opening Day outfield.

Daniel Nava will get the nod as Boston’s designated hitter. He’s been an on-base machine in Grapefruit League action this year, and as a result, manager John Farrell has penciled him into the No. 2 spot on Thursday.

The rest of Thursday’s lineups are below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Daniel Nava, DH
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Shane Victorino, RF
Jonny Gomes, LF
David Ross, C
Jose Iglesias, SS

Clay Buchholz P

Twins
Aaron Hicks, CF
Joe Mauer, C
Josh Willingham, LF
Justin Morneau, 1B
Ryan Doumit, DH
Trevor Plouffe, 3B
Chris Parmelee, RF
Eduardo Escobar, 2B
Pedro Florimon, SS

Kevin Correia, P

8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox’ starting pitchers are getting their final tune-ups in before the start of the regular season. On Thursday, it’ll be Clay Buchholz’s turn.

Buchholz enters the game with a 0.96 ERA (two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings) in five spring starts. He allowed one run on four hits while striking out five in his last start against the Pirates on Saturday.

Thursday’s contest will mark the first of three games against the Twins to close out spring training. The Sox and Twins will also do battle on Friday and Saturday. Boston begins the regular season in New York against the Yankees on Monday.

Following Buchholz on Thursday will be Alfredo Aceves, Joel Hanrahan and Koji Uehara.

Thursday’s action kicks off at 7:05 p.m. ET. Coverage of the game will be provided on NESN, and of course, be sure to stick around with NESN.com for additional commentary and analysis.

Daniel Bard‘s Opening Day status no longer hangs in the balance. The hard-throwing righty will begin the season in the minors.

The Red Sox announced multiple roster moves on Thursday, including the decision to option Bard to Double-A Portland. The club also announced that Stephen Drew has been placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list (retroactive to March 27), and Mauro Gomez and Brock Holt have been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

The decision to send Bard to Portland ends speculation about whether the Red Sox would start the season with him in the big league bullpen or ship him down to the farm to further work on his mechanics. Bard had been competing with Clayton Mortensen for a roster spot, but Mortensen was out of options, which may have also played a role in the decision.

As far as Drew, the shortstop theoretically could return for Boston’s second game of the season on April 3. That almost certainly won’t happen, though, as Drew hasn’t played in a game since March 7, and there remains no timetable for this return.

With Gomez and Holt getting sent down, it looks as if Mike Carp and Pedro Ciriaco have secured roster spots, although that news doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

One glaring omission from the roster moves: Jackie Bradley Jr. The young outfielder’s fate still hangs in the balance.

With the moves, the Red Sox now have 32 players in major league camp, including 28 players from the 40-man roster (one on the seven-day disabled list), one on the 60-day disabled list and three non-roster invitees.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Red Sox manager John Farrell surprised no one on Wednesday when he announced that Jon Lester will be the team’s Opening Day starter. But the honor bestowed upon the lefty is a microcosm of Lester’s importance.

The Red Sox made a bevy of offseason moves, aimed at both retooling the roster and reshaping the team’s image. The players brought in come not only with skill sets that should mesh on the field, but also with positive attitudes that should create a more productive clubhouse atmosphere. Through all of the additions and changes of the past six months, though, one overriding fact remains: the Red Sox need to pitch better in 2013.

The man most important to that effort is Lester.

The Red Sox’ last two seasons have been tumultuous, to say the least, and Lester has received — deservedly so — as much criticism as anyone. Once one of the most reliable left-handers in the game, Lester collapsed alongside his teammates in 2011, and then struggled mightily throughout all of 2012. He went 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA during the thick of 2011′s playoff race, and went 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA while pitching for Bobby Valentine‘s much-scrutinized 2012 team.

There’s a different feeling surrounding this year’s outlook, though. Lester arrived in camp saying the right things, but he also seems to understand that words can only go so far, especially when an organization that demands success hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008. Now, he’s ready to enter the season looking like the pitcher who was once considered by many to be the team’s ace.

Lester tossed four scoreless innings in his final tune-up on Wednesday, and he closes the book on his spring with a 0.75 ERA and 0.50 WHIP. Lester allowed just two earned runs over 24 innings in his six Grapefruit League starts, and opposing batters hit just .101 against the lefty.

Obviously, it’s still spring training. If Lester flops this season, no one is going to remember the six perfect innings he threw against the Rays on St. Patrick’s Day or the fantastic strikeout-to-walk ratio he posted in six starts. The 29-year-old has been around for plenty of ups and downs, though, so he understands this, and he seems to be in a good place with the April 1 season opener looming.

“I think in spring, you could look at it both ways,” Lester told reporters on Wednesday. “You can look at is as, OK, I’m hitting my stride at the right time. I’m finally clicking and things are going good. Like I’ve said after each one, it’s good to have good results. It reinforces all the work you put into it and the adjustments and you see the swings at certain pitches and it’s like, ‘Man, this is me.’ With that being said, there’s still going to be times where you get waffled. That’s just part of being a pitcher. I think those times will be few and far between.”

For the Red Sox’ sake, Lester’s bad outings need to be few and far between, or else Boston will find itself in a situation similar to last year’s. Each of the team’s five starters is capable of turning in a solid performance on any given night, and the team will need consistency from top to bottom, but Lester is the guy. How Lester fares this season has the potential to dictate the overall effectiveness of the staff. If he can rebound to become a stopper every fifth day — like he once was — everything else has the potential to fall into place.

The Red Sox’ offense is a bit banged up, and David Ortiz‘s injury will undoubtedly impact the unit right out of the gate. That makes it even more essential for the Lester-led rotation to hit the ground running.

“All the words — honor, privilege — all of that, especially for this organization, to be named that,” Lester said of being named Boston’s Opening Day starter for the third straight year. “I take it with great pride, and I’ll go out there and give it a good start and hopefully get this team off to a good start this season.”

If Lester truly is back to his old self, a good start will only be a precursor to an even better finish.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

According to Scout.com’s Kiley McDaniel, the Red Sox have jumped to the front of the line when it comes to Devers, who is among the 16-year-old international prospects that MLB teams can start signing on July 2.

American, Canadian and Puerto Rican players can be drafted at age 17 or 18 — once they graduate from high school — but players from other countries can be drafted at age 16. Often times, they are. For example, the Seattle Mariners signed Felix Hernandez as soon as he turned 16. Clearly, that worked out well.

Obviously, a player as elite as Hernandez is rare, but the former Cy Young winner serves as proof that it’s important for teams to keep an eye on what 16-year-old international players will become available to sign once July 2 rolls around.

According to McDaniel, Devers is a 6-foot, 195-pounder who hits left-handed and throws right-handed. McDaniel reports that he was told before scouting Devers that the Dominican is the best hitter in this class, and it’s something that McDaniel has since confirmed.

McDaniel reports that the Red Sox are “hot on Devers’ trail for a seven-figure bonus other teams are unlikely to top.” Devers reportedly lacks projection at this point, although McDaniel considers his upside to be as an “everyday third baseman.”

Have a look at Devers taking batting practice and hitting during an at-bat in the videos below. Then, click the link below that for a more detailed scouting report from Scout.com.

Click here to read more about Devers >>

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Chris Young

Young, who was an All-Star as a member of the Padres in 2007, had been pitching for the Nationals this spring, but the club granted him his release on Tuesday. Young reportedly “loved” playing with the Nationals, but he exercised his opt-out clause in the hopes of securing a major league contract elsewhere.

Realizing that Young would soon hit the open market, a number of teams sent scouts to Young’s start against the Astros on Monday. Those teams included the Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays, Twins, Indians, Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers and Mets, according to FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal.

The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore reports that the Nats are “hopeful, if not optimistic,” that they can lure Young back if he doesn’t find a major league deal elsewhere, but the 33-year-old has put together a rather impressive spring.

Young made four starts and allowed five runs (four earned) in 16 innings (2.25 ERA) before his release. He held opposing hitters to a .193 average, and he didn’t allow a run in his last nine innings.

Young made 20 starts with the Mets last season, and went 4-9 with a 4.15 ERA. The righty notched back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2005 and 2006, before then earning the All-Star nod while going 9-8 with a 3.12 ERA in 2007.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Photo via Wikipedia/Chris Young

Final, Marlins 5-1:

Miami scored three runs in the seventh, and then added two more in the ninth to secure a 5-1 win at JetBlue Park.

The Red Sox couldn’t stage much of a rally in the ninth. Pedro Ciriaco singled into left field, but in a shocking turn of events, Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded into a double play. Bradley finished the game 1-for-4 plus a walk, and his spring average is now .431.

Daniel Nava walked with two outs in the ninth, meaning he reached safely four times — three walks and a single. The Marlins squashed any further threat, though.

The biggest thorn in Boston’s side on Wednesday was Daniel Pertusati, who went 2-for-3 and drove in four of Miami’s five runs. Pertusati hit a two-run double to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead in the seventh, and he added insurance with a two-run single in the ninth.

The Red Sox’ lone run came on a home run by Jonny Gomes in the second inning. It was Gomes’ third blast of the spring.

Jon Lester got the start on Wednesday, and he capped off his impressive spring by twirling four scoreless innings. The next time he’ll toe the rubber will be on Opening Day in the Bronx.

Andrew Miller, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Junichi Tazawa and Ryan Rowland-Smith followed Lester on Wednesday, and the pitchers had varying degrees of success — or lack thereof. Miller, Bailey and Tazawa each pitched a scoreless inning, while Bard surrendered three runs and Rowland-Smith gave up two.

Bard’s rough outing puts his spring ERA at 6.75, and it now seems all but certain that he’ll begin the season at Triple-A Pawtucket. The hard-throwing righty might find himself in Boston before long, but it’s clear there are still some things that need to be worked out.

The Red Sox will be back in action on Thursday, when they host the Twins in the first of three straight games between the Mayor’s Cup foes. The three games will close out Boston’s 2013 spring training slate.

Thursday’s game is set for 7:05 p.m. ET, and Clay Buchholz will get his final tune-up before the regular season. Coverage of the game can be found on NESN, so be sure to tune in, but also feel free to stop by here and show me some love.

Take care, everyone.

Mid 9th, Marlins 5-1: Boston’s task now seems a bit more insurmountable, as Miami tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth.

Ryan Rowland-Smith came on for the Red Sox, and the first two batters reached, setting the tempo for the inning. Chris Valaika singled, and Casey Kotchman reached on a field error by first baseman Mauro Gomez.

After Kyle Skipworth popped out and Wilson Valdez grounded out, Daniel Pertusati again proved to be a thorn in Boston’s side.

Pertusati, whose two-run double gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the seventh, delivered a two-run single into center to extend the lead.

Chris Coghlan ended the inning by striking out for the third time.

Pedro Ciriaco, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Daniel Nava are scheduled to bat for Boston in the ninth, and they’ll need four runs or else we’re done playing baseball for the day.

End 8th, Marlins 3-1: The Red Sox sent some powerful bats to the plate in the eighth, but there was nothing doing.

Will Middlebrooks popped out and Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging. Salty is now 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in this one.

After the two quick outs, Jonny Gomes did his best to stage a rally by singling into right field. It proved fruitless, as Ryan Sweeney flew out to left field to end the inning.

Mid 8th, Marlins 3-1: Junichi Tazawa provided a quality inning in the eighth.

Adeiny Hechavarria and Justin Ruggiano each grounded out. Tazawa then struck out Austin Kearns.

The Red Sox made some additional changes as well. Brock Holt, Mauro Gomez, Pedro Ciriaco and Ryan Sweeney have come in. Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, Jose Iglesias and Mike Carp have exited.

This will be Ciriaco’s first game action since March 14. He’s been dealing with back spasms.

End 7th, Marlins 3-1: The Red Sox put a couple of runners on in the seventh, but John Maine kept the Marlins’ two-run lead intact.

Jose Iglesias walked, and Jackie Bradley Jr. came up representing the tying run, but Bradley anticlimactically grounded into a force out.

Daniel Nava kept the pressure on by working a walk of his own. It also marked the third time he’s reached base in this one.

Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli each flew out, however, and Maine escaped the jam unscathed.

Junichi Tazawa will work the eighth for the Red Sox.

Mid 7th, Marlins 3-1: Daniel Bard has been vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but this outing likely ends his bid to start the season with the big club.

Bard gave up back-to-back singles to Austin Kearns and Chris Valaika, immediately putting himself in some trouble to begin the seventh.

Casey Kotchman moved both runners up, and then Koyie Hill lifted a sac fly to left field to tie the game.

With Wilson Valdez batting, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was charged with a passed ball that allowed Valaika to move from second to third with two outs. Valdez threw salt on the wound by working a walk.

That’s when disaster struck.

Daniel Pertusati smacked a two-run double into right field to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead.

With the rough outing, Bard’s ERA balloons to 6.75. The hard-throwing righty has been making some strides, but he’s looked shaky of late. He also allowed three earned runs against Baltimore on March 19.

Bard was one of the major topics I addressed in this week’s mailbag. There has been plenty of talk as to where he’ll start the season, but as I noted, Triple-A seemed like the most logical destination. This outing all but ensures that fate.

Click here to read more about Bard’s spring >>

End 6th, Red Sox 1-0: John Maine replaced Kevin Slowey in the sixth. Maine had some control issues, but he ultimately kept the score the same.

Maine struck out the red-hot Mike Napoli before issuing back-to-back walks to Will Middlebrooks and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Maine ensured the free passes wouldn’t come back to haunt him by striking out Jonny Gomes, who homered earlier in the game, and getting Mike Carp to pop out to short.

Daniel Bard will pitch the seventh inning for Boston.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 1-0: Andrew Bailey gave up a double in the inning, but he was otherwise solid.

Bailey struck out both Daniel Pertusati and Chris Coghlan swinging to begin the inning.

Adeiny Hechavarria picked up his second hit of the ballgame by doubling to left field, but Justin Ruggiano flew out to Jackie Bradley Jr. in center field to end the threat.

Bailey has now gone seven straight outings without allowing a run.

End 5th, Red Sox 1-0: The Jackie Bradley Jr. watch continues, so let’s get to that.

Bradley worked a one-out walk off Kevin Slowey in the fifth. He wouldn’t come around to score, though, as Daniel Nava popped out and Dustin Pedroia struck out to end the inning.

Prior to Bradley’s walk, Jose Iglesias — another guy who’s playing well — reached on a single. Iglesias was picked off, however, and that’s something he’ll need to clean up, as it isn’t the first time the slick-fielding shortstop has been nailed at first base this spring.

Andrew Bailey is coming on to pitch for Boston.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 1-0: The Red Sox went from one lefty to another and saw similar results.

Andrew Miller, who is also having a very nice spring, got Casey Kotchman to ground out before giving up a single to Koyie Hill.

After that, Miller buckled down, and he got Wilson Valdez to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.

The one rarity of Miller’s outing — assuming he pitches just one inning — is that he didn’t strike anyone out. Miller struck out at least one batter in his last seven spring appearances. He struck out more than one hitter in four of those outings.

Overall, Miller has 12 K’s through 8 1/3 Grapefruit League innings.

2:48 p.m.: That will, in fact, do it for Jon Lester, and the book is officially closed on his 2013 spring training.

Andrew Miller will take over for Lester, who was solid yet again.

Lester threw 50 pitches (38 strikes) over four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, didn’t walk anyone and struck out four.

The next time Lester takes the mound, it will be in the Bronx, with the game counting for real. Get up!

End 4th, Red Sox 1-0: While the hashtag #JackieBradleyFacts started gaining steam on Twitter, the Red Sox threatened to add a run.

Mike Napoli, whose fly ball back in the first inning was victimized by the wind, doubled to center to kick off the inning.

Napoli is now batting .350 this spring, and him and Will Middlebrooks will really pose a dangerous 1-2 punch early on if they can carry some momentum into the regular season.

Middlebrooks followed up the double by walking, putting runners at first and second with no outs.

Kevin Slowey figured things out from there, though. He struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and then got Jonny Gomes to fly out and Mike Carp to pop out.

Now, back to that #JackieBradleyFacts hashtag. What do you all have for me? Send them along on Twitter (@TheRickyDoyle). I like being entertained.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: The top of the fourth saw more solid work from Jon Lester.

Lester retired the Marlins in order, bringing his spring ERA down to 0.75.

Justin Ruggiano lined out to Dustin Pedroia at second base for the first out. Lester then struck out Austin Kearns, and Chris Valaika flew out to Mike Carp in left field to end the frame.

That might actually be it for Jon Lester in this one, and it would cap off a fantastic spring training. In addition to the minuscule ERA, the lefty owns a 0.50 WHIP.

End 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Jackie Bradley Jr. experienced a rare strikeout in the third. Oh, the horror.

In addition to that strange sight, Daniel Nava singled into right field, marking the second time he’s reached safely in this one.

Nava’s single came with two outs, as Jose Iglesias grounded out to third prior to Bradley’s strikeout. Dustin Pedroia ended the inning with a fly out to center.

Mid 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Chris Coghlan must have taken offense to my little jab earlier. That’s the only explanation.

Coghlan, owner of a sub-.300 on-base percentage over the last two seasons, singled off Jon Lester with two outs. It didn’t matter, though. Lester bounced back to retire Adeiny Hechavarria on a ground ball back to the mound.

Before Coghlan’s hit, the recently signed Wilson Valdez grounded out to third and Gorkys Hernandez struck out swinging.

End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Jonny Gomes makes it two straight games with a home run.

Gomes, who homered during a 12-9 slugfest on Monday, took Kevin Slowey deep to left field in the second inning.

The blast is Gomes’ third of the spring, and he’ll be heavily relied upon to keep providing pop, especially during the early part of the season with David Ortiz sidelined.

Before Gomes went deep, Will Middlebrooks flew out to center and Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out.

Middlebrooks has been swinging a hot bat. His 17 hits are second behind Jackie Bradley Jr.’s 25, and the third baseman’s average now sits at .354.

Mike Carp, who is still playing for a job, ended the inning with a ground out to second.

Mid 2nd, 0-0: Jon Lester must be getting bored.

Lester continued his spring dominance in the second inning by retiring Chris Valaika, Casey Kotchman and Koyie Hill in order.

End 1st, 0-0: Jackie Bradley Jr. started his day off in typical Jackie Bradley Jr. fashion.

Bradley smacked a line-drive single into center field to get the inning going. He’s now batting .455 (25-for-55) this spring.

Daniel Nava followed up Bradley’s hit with a walk, putting runners at first and second to begin the game.

The Marlins would gain two quick outs, though, when Dustin Pedroia grounded into a 1-6-3 double play, which moved Bradley over to third.

Mike Napoli flew out to right field to end the inning.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Jon Lester is expected to pitch around four innings. The hope is to get the lefty between 60 and 70 pitches in his final tuneup before Opening Day.

Lester worked around a one-out single in the first inning to keep the Marlins off the board.

The always dangerous — and yes, I say that sarcastically — Chris Coghlan struck out swinging to begin the game, and Adeiny Hechavarria followed up with a single to the right side.

Hechavarria would later put the wheels in motion. After Justin Ruggiano struck out swinging for the second out, Hechavarria swiped second base with Austin Kearns at the plate.

Kearns couldn’t knock in the run, though. He grounded out to Jose Iglesias at short to end the inning.

1:38 p.m.: The action is under way in Fort Myers.

1:30 p.m.: It’s almost that time. You’ve still got a few minutes to fasten your seat belt, though.

11:42 a.m.: The lineup cards are in, and Red Sox fans will get another glimpse of Jackie Bradley Jr. This time, the hot-hitting outfielder will lead off for the hometown club.

Bradley didn’t record a hit on Tuesday, but that’s simply because the Red Sox had an off-day. Otherwise, Bradley probably would have been good for at least a couple. (If the rest of the spring is any indication.)

Bradley enters Wednesday’s game hitting .444 (24-for-54) with two homers, a triple, four doubles, 11 RBIs, 10 runs and eight walks. His average ranks third among Grapefruit League qualifiers, and his .523 on-base percentage is tops.

Bradley’s 24 hits this spring are far and away the most on the Red Sox. In fact, Will Middlebrooks holds the second-highest total, and he has 17. Over the last nine spring trainings, the only Red Sox player with as many hits as Bradley’s 24 was Chris Carter, who recorded 27 in 2009.

Yet, despite all of Bradley’s success, it’s still unclear whether or not he’ll make the Opening Day roster. He’s certainly done everything he could to earn a roster spot, but the debate rages on, although it’s becoming extremely hard to defend starting him anywhere other than the majors.

I wrote earlier this week about how Bradley’s spring performance will truly test the business of baseball. You can have a look at that by clicking the link below.

Click here to read about ‘The Decision’ >>

Not interested? That’s cool. But at least check out the lineups.

Red Sox
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Daniel Nava, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Jonny Gomes, DH
Mike Carp, LF
Jose Iglesias, SS

Jon Lester P

Marlins
Chris Coghlan, CF
Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
Justin Ruggiano, LF
Austin Kearns, DH
Chris Valaika, 3B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Koyie Hill, C
Wilson Valdez, 2B
Gorkys Hernandez, RF

Kevin Slowey, P

11:15 a.m.: The Red Sox made a few roster moves on Wednesday, further trimming their big league squad as we head toward Opening Day.

Ryan Lavarnway has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, while Anthony Carter and Jose De La Torre have been reassigned to minor league camp.

11 a.m.: Here’s a shocker: Jon Lester has been named Boston’s Opening Day starter.

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Lester will toe the rubber when the Red Sox open up against the Yankees in the Bronx on April 1, but it has finally been confirmed. I guess it makes sense to announce the decision on a day when Lester is pitching.

This will be the third straight Opening Day nod for Lester, and it’s the third time overall that he’s been named Opening Day starter. Lester will be the first Red Sox lefty to make three straight Opening Day starts since Mel Parnell (1952-54). Babe Ruth is the only other left-hander to make three straight Opening Day starts for the Red Sox (1916-18).

Lester will be followed in the rotation by Clay Buchholz, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront and John Lackey.

8 a.m. ET: The Marlins will call the state of Florida home all season, but the Red Sox are nearing the end of their time in the Sunshine State. After Wednesday, all that separates Boston and the regular season is a three-game stretch against the Minnesota Twins.

Jon Lester will take the ball for the Red Sox on Wednesday as they try to exact some revenge against the Marlins. The Fish earned an 8-7 walkoff win against the Sox on March 11.

Lester has been lights out this spring. He owns a 0.90 ERA (two earned runs in 20 innings), and he has 16 strikeouts to only four walks. The left-hander last pitched in a minor league game with Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday. He threw 100 pitches (59 strikes) over six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven.

Lester is scheduled to be followed by Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller, Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Bailey.

The action at JetBlue Park will start up at 1:35 p.m. ET, so why not keep it here for the duration of your afternoon? I’ll try to make it worth your procrastination.

Jackie Bradley Jr. added to his impressive spring resume (again) on Monday, and he’s making it harder and harder (again) to defend any decision other than penciling him into the Red Sox’ Opening Day starting lineup.

Bradley entered Monday’s game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, and he promptly lined a game-tying, two-run single up the middle off Pedro Strop. Then, with the Red Sox trailing 12-9 with two outs in the ninth, Bradley lined a triple over the head of right fielder Conor Jackson.

The 2-for-2 performance raised Bradley’s spring average to .444 (24-for-54). His on-base percentage now sits at a remarkable .523, and his OPS is through the roof at 1.190.

What’s even more amazing about Bradley’s spring is that the outfielder’s offensive game has never really been considered his bread and butter. The 22-year-old holds a career .311 average and .423 on-base percentage in 138 minor league games spread out over four levels, but it’s his defensive aptitude that has typically been lauded by scouts.

Bradley is armed with great instincts, a quick first step and great range in the outfield, all of which put him on the fast track to the majors. After watching Bradley develop even more offensively, though, we’re learning that the track he’s been speeding on is shorter than originally thought. And that’s a testament to the hard work he’s put in and the quick adjustments he’s been able to make.

“Even against a left-hander who has decent stuff, he takes a strike, he’s not afraid to hit deep in the count with two strikes and gets a breaking ball middle of the plate,” manager John Farrell told reporters after Monday’s game. “And what was even more impressive I think, is after a day yesterday when some left-handers tied him up a little bit, he came back today against a left-hander with some quality stuff  and put a good swing on the ball.”

Bradley has been under a microscope all spring; even more so after a scorching hot start. He’s responded by not only keeping up a head-turning pace, but by also improving. It’s been quite incredible, really, and it’s now hard to envision him starting the season anywhere other than the Bronx, where the major league club opens its season against the Yankees on April 1.

The logic behind starting Bradley in the minors makes a lot of sense. Bringing him up on or after April 12 would ensure he’s under team control through 2019, rather than through 2018. Sure, that seems very forward-looking, but Bradley will presumably be in the prime of his career at that point, and the extra year could be valuable.

Starting Bradley in the minors is the best course of action for the Red Sox to take when looking through a long-term lens, but admittedly, there is something a bit unsettling about the young outfielder being relegated to the minors for at least 11 days. Bradley has done everything he could possibly do. He’s passed every test. He’s thrived under pressure. And most of all, he’s done it with class and professionalism.

Based on what we’re taught growing up, Bradley should be a lock for the Opening Day roster. What we’re not taught in Little League, though, is that baseball is a business. So as unsettling as it is, the debate is still very much alive, through no fault of Bradley’s.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

The Red Sox reassigned Bogaerts, Jonathan Diaz and Drew Sutton to minor league camp following Monday’s game against the Orioles. With the moves, the Sox now have 39 players in big league camp, including 32 players from the 40-man roster, one on the 60-day disabled list and six non-roster invitees.

Bogaerts, who is Boston’s top-ranked prospect, was invited to major league camp as a non-roster invitee, although he spent much of his spring training play for Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. The 20-year-old shortstop went 2-for-7 with a walk in five Grapefruit League games.

Sutton spent his spring playing third base for the Red Sox, but struggled at times defensively. Sutton hit .257 (9-for-35), while compiling a .395 on-base percentage in 21 games.

Diaz, who — like Sutton — signed a minor league contract with the Sox this offseason, spent most of his time at second base, although he did log time at shortstop and third base as well. He hit .240 (6-for-25) in 22 games.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Manager John Farrell hasn’t specifically stated such just yet, but Iglesias’ impressive performance against the Phillies on Sunday all but solidified his status as the man for the job.

How long Iglesias’ starting shortstop reign lasts is anyone’s guess. The club will likely turn to Stephen Drew as soon as the veteran is healthy enough to return to action. In the meantime, though, it’s hard to ignore the growing level of intrigue surrounding Iglesias.

Iglesias’ stock plummeted last season. The 23-year-old had every opportunity to cement himself in Boston’s 2013 starting lineup, yet he sputtered down the stretch, hitting a putrid .118 (8-for-68) in 25 major league games. Rather than captivating the Red Sox with his nifty glove work, his cup of coffee with the big club instead generated concern as to whether or not he’d ever develop enough offensively to become an everyday starter in the majors — hence the Drew signing.

With spring training nearing its end, though, Iglesias’ stock is rising as quickly as it dropped. We’re no longer seeing a great defender whose major league potential was limited because of his inability to hit his way out of a paper bag. Instead, we’re seeing a player who could create a very interesting shortstop situation in Boston with a hot start to the regular season.

The Red Sox have 9.5 million reasons to play Drew over Iglesias when the veteran returns, and there’s little doubt that Drew is — and probably always will be — the superior offensive shortstop. Iglesias has shown vast improvement this spring, though, and it’ll be very interesting to see how the team proceeds going forward.

Iglesias showed up to spring training having put on about 15 pounds, and it’s had the effect that the Red Sox were hoping for. He’s shown much more pop at the plate, and his noticeably bigger frame hasn’t impeded his excellent defensive skills one bit.

Iglesias’ 3-for-3 performance on Sunday — which included a sharply hit double over center fielder Ben Revere‘s head (off Cliff Lee, no less) — brought his spring average to .273 (15-for-55). It’s not a crazy figure by any stretch, and his .298 on-base percentage is still a bit concerning, but the shortstop’s offensive development certainly passes the eyeball test.

Iglesias looks more comfortable — even showing an ability to think outside the box in dropping down a bunt single on Thursday — and his increased strength is noticeable. He has seven extra-base hits this spring, which is five more than his last three spring trainings combined and four more than he had in 68 major league at-bats last season.

Obviously, we shouldn’t get too wrapped up in Iglesias’ spring performance. After all, it is still spring training, and there is still plenty of room for improvement in the infielder’s overall game. It’s hard not to be encouraged, though, especially since his status as a prospect was starting to get a bit murky.

None of the Red Sox’ other shortstop options — Brock Holt, Pedro Ciriaco or Drew Sutton — have done anything to win the Opening Day job. Iglesias, meanwhile, has taken advantage of his opportunity.

It’s now up to Iglesias to prove he belongs in the majors for all of 2013, rather than just a few games in Drew’s absence.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Jackie Bradley Jr. has been making a strong case this spring to be considered for an Opening Day roster spot with the Red Sox.

Bradley Jr. got his first start of the spring in the outfield Sunday against the Phillies. He hit a three-run homer in the second inning off Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee and finished with four RBIs in the matchup.

Sox assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez has worked with Bradley Jr. in the minors and is not at all surprised by the 22-year old’s success.

Hear what Rodriguez had to say in the video above.

It’s the approach that every major league team has when it comes to players getting banged up during spring training, and it’s exactly why the Red Sox opted to remove Jacoby Ellsbury from Sunday’s game against the Phillies.

Ellsbury, who rolled his ankle while retreating to first base on a pickoff attempt, was taken out in the second inning before what would have been his second at-bat. The team described Ellsbury’s injury as a jammed heel, but the center fielder doesn’t seem too concerned, which is certainly good news for the Red Sox.

“I just stepped on the base and kind of rolled my ankle a little bit,” Ellsbury told reporters in Clearwater. “It just got a little tight, but it’s nothing of a concern. … The way I feel, I feel good about it.”

Manager John Farrell also downplayed the severity of the ailment following Sunday’s 7-6 win over the Phillies. The Red Sox will play the Orioles in Sarasota on Monday, before then having an off-day on Tuesday, and Farrell doesn’t expect Ellsbury’s injury to linger.

“We took him out precautionarily, but with the jammed right heel, we’ll evaluate him in the morning,” Farrell told reporters. “Hopefully this is nothing more than we get through the off-day on Tuesday. We’re cautiously optimistic he’d be back in the lineup once we get past the off-day.”

Ellsbury was thrown out trying to steal second base after suffering the injury, and he then played in the field during the bottom half of the first inning. Ellsbury was replaced in the lineup by Bryce Brentz, who played right field while Shane Victorino moved to center field.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

“Everything’s taken, I guess, a turn, but that’s a good thing, when you’re a young player who I guess is able to push the envelope, and not only that, but to perform, make a good impression, perform at a high level and show he’s learning every day,” Bradley said during a recent WEEI interview. “I am learning every day. I’m trying to learn as fast as I can because they have so much knowledge that they’re throwing at us daily, and I’m trying to take it all in. I think I’ve soaked it all in as much as I could, not only from the coaches but the players.”

Bradley has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring. With his 1-for-3, four-RBI performance on Sunday, Bradley is now hitting .423 (22-for-52) with two home runs, nine RBIs and a .508 on-base percentage in 23 Grapefruit League contests. That has led to quite the debate over whether the Sox should start the season with Bradley in the minors — as originally anticipated — or give him a big league shot as soon as Opening Day.

Regardless of where Bradley starts his 2013 season, though, it probably won’t be long before he’s patrolling the outfield with the big club in Boston. For now, getting to that point is Bradley’s main objective.

“I’m going to continue to work hard to get to where I want to be, and that’s in the major leagues. Hopefully I am close. I’m going to keep working, try to push the envelope and see how things go,” Bradley said. “It is moving quickly, and that’s a good thing. Once you get to professional ball, you think, ‘What path do I want to take? Do I want to move fast, or do I want to stay right there and move up one by one?’ I always wanted to learn as fast as I can, obviously, and keep progressing, keep getting better every single day. … I know where I want to be, and I know I want to be in this game for a long time, so I’ve got to continue to work.”

The Red Sox’ outfield originally looked set, with Jonny Gomes, Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino manning the three spots. David Ortiz‘s injury has opened up another avenue through which Bradley could make the major league roster, though.

Click here to listen to a podcast about Jackie Bradley Jr.’s future with the Red Sox >>

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.