Red Sox Roster: Eduardo Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz To Start Season On DL

The Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation will be undermanned to begin the season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Saturday that pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz will begin the season on the disabled list. Rodriguez continues to work his way back from offseason knee surgery, while Pomeranz needs more time to prepare for the season after suffering a forearm strain early in spring training.

The losses of Pomeranz and Rodriguez mean there’s an opening for the fifth spot in the rotation.

With Steven Wright facing a 15-game suspension, competition for the fifth spot likely will be between Hector Velazquez, Marcus Walden and Justin Haley. Brian Johnson was awarded a spot in the rotation after a stellar spring start against the New York Yankees on Friday.

It’s been a busy Saturday in Fort Myers, Fla., as the Red Sox announced the signing of catcher Christian Vazquez to a three-year contract extension.