Drew Pomeranz progresses, Craig Kimbrel returns as pitching staff takes shape

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Even before the Red Sox took the field in Bradenton, some 80 miles or so up Interstate 75, the day had the feel of a victory.

First, came news that closer Craig Kimbrel was en route to Fort Myers to rejoin his team after spending nearly the last three weeks in Boston, attending to his infant daughter Lydia, who recently underwent a second surgical procedure on her heart.

"I get chills just thinking about (his return),'' manager Alex Cora told reporters in Bradenton.

Kimbrel had been back in Boston with the team's full consent and support, told to progress on a timetable suitable for all involved. With Lydia showing improvement in the last week, Kimbrel felt comfortable enough to return to the club.

"The most important thing,'' noted Cora, "is that the family is OK with it. If they're OK with it, we're OK with it. It's a great day for us.''

Kimbrel is scheduled to throw a live batting session Monday and Cora believes there's plenty of time for the reliever to build up to be ready for the regular season opener, now fast approaching, on March 29.

Pitching coach Dana LeVangie, back in Fort Myers, said batting practice pitcher Matt Noone had been supervising Kimbrel's workouts back in Boston.

Kimbrel's imminent return wasn't the only step forward on an otherwise sleepy Sunday.  Drew Pomeranz, who left the mound in Jupiter more than two weeks ago and was diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon, threw 33 pitches in a two-inning live batting practice session on the big field at jetBlue Park, throwing a full pitch mix to Sandy Leon and Rafael Devers.

"It felt good,'' said Pomeranz. "I don't know, velocity-wise, what it was, but it was carrying through and getting on them quick and that's what I look for. The four-seamer, just the way it was coming out of my hand, was coming out good.''

Pomeranz had thrown some bullpens in his work-up to Sunday, but the intensity was far greater in the BP session, and was aided by the presence of two major league hitters in the batter's box.

"Today, I was firing them in there and it felt great,'' he said. "It felt normal.''

"The biggest thing,'' said LeVangie, "was getting the 'up-and-downs,' trying to replicate a game. The ball was coming out really good.  I thought he stayed in his delivery really well. He mixed in all his pitched. It was a good day.''

The Sox will wait until Monday to see how Pomeranz recovers before determining plan. The most likely scenario would have him pitching in a minor league game later this week.

Yet to be determined, of course, is whether there's ample time for Pomeranz to prepare to make his first start of the season, likely on Sunday, April 1, the fourth game on the schedule.

"I'm not sure,'' he said when asked if he expected to be ready for that assignment. "That's something I have to talk about with them. I don't know how the schedule falls, or where they have me (slotted), either, so we'll have to sit down and figure that out.''

"I don't want to get ahead of myself,'' said LeVangie when quizzed on the likelihood of Pomeranz being part of the Opening Day rotation. "He's got some progressions to get through. The biggest thing is to get him on a five-day schedule and if everything goes well, get him into a minor league game.'  It's a little too early to say.'

Such early-season uncertainty is nothing new for Pomeranz, who went through a similar injury and slight delay to his 2017 season when he began the year on the 10-day DL, but was able to pitch the seventh game of the season.

"Pretty similar,'' agreed Pomeranz. 'I had obviously been in more (spring training) games (a year ago before being sidelined), but I feel pretty good. I've done some weird things at the beginning of seasons. The beginning of the year can be kind of weird, so I'm just trying to progress in the right direction and take it from there.''

Two other projected starters -- Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright -- are expected to throw in minor league games this week, with Rodriguez slated for four innings Tuesday and Wright set for a similar workload Thursday.