The Red Sox have announced their pitching schedule for the first week of spring training games, which begin with a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 3.
Top prospect Casey Kelly will be the first to toe the rubber for the Red Sox this spring, facing the Northeastern University team. Offseason pickup Boof Bonser, who is battling for a spot in the bullpen, will be on the mound to start the second game of the collegiate doubleheader, facing Boston College.
Josh Beckett will pitch Boston’s Grapefruit League opener versus the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 4, at 7:05 p.m. He’ll be followed by Jon Lester on Friday, March 5, at 7:05 p.m., also against the Twins. In that game, Tim Wakefield will be the first man out of the bullpen.
Fans will see John Lackey pitching in a Red Sox uniform for the first time on Saturday, March 6, as the team’s marquee offseason signing will debut in one of the split-squad games (at the Tampa Bay Rays’ complex in Port Charlotte, Fla., or against the Twins in Fort Myers).
Clay Buchholz will be the last starter to go during the opening week, in a 1:05 p.m. tilt against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota that will be nationally televised on MLB Network.
