For much of the spring, the Red Sox have said that outfielder Franchy Cordero likely wouldn't be ready for the start of the season, having missed the first two weeks of camp on the COVID-19 IL.
But on Thursday, pleased with the progress he's made, Alex Cora opened the door more than a little, suggesting that Cordero might be available for the April 1 opener after all.
"There's a chance,'' said Cora. "We've been very impressed with the way he's moving, we've been very impressed with the way he feels after games. I do believe the big day now is Saturday. He'll play (Friday). Let's see where he is at Saturday. If everything goes well, we'll sit down as a group and then we'll decide what we're going to do, probably Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
"It's up to him. We're not actually pushing him. He's answered every challenge we've thrown at him so that's a positive. There's a chance he can be with us on Opening Day.''
Cora added that Cordero has gotten extra reps in "B'' game and intrasquad games, helping him make up for lost time.
"It's not that he's behind with at-bats,'' said Cora. "I believe he's got more at-bats than anybody here in camp. It's just a matter of him bouncing back from playing seven, playing eight innings in the field. If he can do that, we might feel comfortable with where he's at and what we can do with him in the upcoming week.
"We'll see. I don't want to get too ahead of myself. So let's see what happens (Friday) in the game and how he feels Saturday morning and we'll make decisions after that.''
If Cordero is on the 26-man roster for the opener, that will make for an interesting call for the Sox, since it will mean someone else will be excluded. Without Cordero on the roster, the Sox can afford to start the season with both Michael Chavis and Christian Arroyo. If Cordero is set to go, the Sox will only be able to retain one, with Arroyo having an edge because he's out of options.
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