Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect Roman Anthony's status.
Another long winter without baseball is at its end. The Boston Red Sox will suit up on Feb. 21 for their first spring training game of the season.
Most clubs don't throw their biggest stars into action until later in camp, but there are still plenty of players Sox fans will want to keep an eye on who will play against the Northeastern University Huskies at JetBlue Park on Friday.
Boston's skipper Alex Cora announced his squad's starting nine during his Feb. 19 presser, but there have been some changes since. Roman Anthony was initially supposed to slot in left field, but he will no longer play against Northeastern after he was hit on the arm by a pitch on Feb. 20. He's sore, but the Red Sox expect him to recover quickly, per multiple reports. Trayce Thompson will take his place. The Sox also moved Abraham Toro to DH and Triston Casas to first base.
Cora, on Feb. 19, did not specify who the designated hitter would be but said the catchers are in the mix. Instead, Toro has been swapped in and Mark Kolozvary will catch.
First lineup of 2025.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 21, 2025
Let's get it. pic.twitter.com/pwClylnqgK
Red Sox's first spring training lineup features two top prospects, other rising stars
The "Big Three" prospects were the stars of Cora's initial lineup, and Sox fans are sure to see a lot of them in spring training games, as Anthony and Kristian Campbell battle for spots on the Opening Day roster. Mayer is a much less likely choice for Opening Day than his two WooSox teammates, as a lower back injury ended his 2024 season prematurely, and he never appeared in a Triple-A game.
The Red Sox acquired Toro this offseason as a right-handed depth option at second base. Toro has appeared in the majors for four different organizations, most recently the A's, where he batted .240/.293/.350 over 94 games.
Boston is excited about outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who posted such a good season in 2024 that the Sox protected him in the Rule 5 Draft as a Double-A player. The 22-year-old finished his season with the SeaDogs after rising three levels through the minor leagues in a single year, much like Campbell. He slashed .286/.356/.536 with a .892 OPS over 107 games.
Brian Van Belle is a 28-year-old righty pitcher who made nine starts out of 30 appearances for the WooSox last season. He clocked a 4.42 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 30 walks over 93.2 innings.
The Red Sox will play one game against Northeastern before they face other MLB clubs. Their slate of Grapefruit League games opens on Feb. 22 with a bout against the Rays.