UPDATE (7:53 p.m. ET): J.D. Martinez was scratched from the lineup minutes before Friday’s series opener due to back spasms, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham and MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
The Red Sox announced a new lineup, which moves Kyle Schwarber from left field to the designated hitter spot originally held by Martinez. Danny Santana will take over in left, batting eighth.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Boston Red Sox welcome back one of their leaders as they take on the Chicago White Sox.
Xander Bogaerts returns to the Red Sox starting lineup for Friday night’s series opener. Bogaerts has been out since Aug. 31, when the Red Sox pulled him from a game and placed him on the COVID-19 related injured list. Having fulfilled Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols, Bogaerts is back in the lineup, batting fourth and playing shortstop.
Boston also starts Kyle Schwarber and Christian Vázquez. Schwarber entered Wednesday’s game — an epic win over the Tampa Bay Rays — in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter. Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave Vázquez the night off. Schwarber bats second and plays left field, while Vázquez bats eighth and catches.
Tanner Houck is the Red Sox starting pitcher. He has allowed just four hits in his last two starts.
Lefty Carlos Rodón is the White Sox’s starting pitcher.
NESN will air Red Sox-White Sox in full, with pregame coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET. First pitch from Guaranteed Rate Field is scheduled for 8:10 p.m., and postgame coverage immediately will follow the final out. If you’re not near a television, you can stream full coverage of the game online at Watch NESN Live.
Here are the full lineups for Friday’s Red Sox-White Sox game.
BOSTON RED SOX (80-62)
Kiké Hernández, CF
Kyle Schwarber, LF
J.D. Martinez, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Rafael Devers, 3B
Hunter Renfroe, RF
Bobby Dalbec, 1B
Christian Vázquez, C
José Iglesias, 2B
Tanner Houck, RHP (0-3, 3.26 ERA)
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (80-60)
Luis Robert, CF
Yoan Moncada, 3B
Jose Abreu, 1B
Eloy Jimenez, DH
Yasmani Grandal, C
Gavin Sheets, LF
Leury Garcia, SS
Brian Goodwin, RF
Cesar Hernandez, 2B
Carlos Rodón, LHP (11-5 2.41 ERA)
