The Boston Red Sox won their first real spring training game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. On Sunday, the Red Sox will take on the Toronto Blue Jays. The lineup for this game is one that Alex Cora could run out on opening day.
The lineup for the 1:05 pm ET game is as follows:
DH: Roman Anthony
SS: Trevor Story
LF: Jarren Duran
1B: Willson Contreras
RF: Wilyer Abreu
3B: Caleb Durbin
CF: Ceddanne Rafaela
C: Carlos Narvaez
2B: Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Bryan Bello will be the pitcher for the game, but he will not be the opening day starter for the Red Sox.
This is a lineup that Cora could run out on opening day. Marcelo Mayer might be subbed in for Kiner-Falefa, but everyone else is at the position they will play during the regular season.
“So I just felt that’s a good way to set it up. But, yeah, it’s something I have envisioned and it just happened that for the first time in years, what you might see early is what you’re probably going to see on Opening Day,” Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com.
What Changes Might Be Made
GettyMarcelo Mayer could be the opening day second baseman.
One change is subbing in Marcelo Mayer. Mayer has been splitting time with Durbin at third and second base during the team workouts. He will most likely be the starting second baseman instead of IKF. However, matchups matter. And if Mayer struggles in spring training against a certain type of pitcher, Cora might opt to go with Kiner-Falefa instead.
The other obvious change, as mentioned, is Crochet slotting into the opening day starter role. Sunday is just Bello’s turn to pitch in spring training.
Kristian Campbell is a notable name missing. Campbell is a former top prospect, but he struggled in the big leagues in 2025. He should get his opportunity in the MLB this year, but it will not be as an infielder. Instead, Campbell will spend most of his time in the outfield. The outfield at Fenway Park is jam-packed, so expect the 23-year-old to be a bench player.
The more in-depth changes will come in the lineup. Anthony will be the leadoff hitter for Boston, but the rest of the lineup is uncertain. That is where Cora will experiment in spring training. But the lineup on Sunday is going to be very similar to what the Red Sox will see on opening day when they take on the Cincinnati Reds.
Red Sox Spring Training Thus Far
GettyPayton Tolle started the first game of spring training for Boston.
This is the second real spring training game for the Red Sox. Boston did play Northeastern University on Friday, and they won that game 18-3. In Boston’s first MLB spring training game, they defeated the Twins 7-2.
Against the Twins, Anthony went 0-for-3 in the leadoff spot with two strikeouts. But newcomer Andruw Monasterio hit a home run in his first game with the team. The team’s No. 19 prospect Allan Castro and the No. 6 prospect Mikey Romero each had multiple RBI, as well.
On the mound, No. 2 prospect Payton Tolle allowed just one run, which was a home run off the bat of Royce Lewis. Cooper Adams impressed the most as he struck out the side in the eighth inning.
As spring training rolls on, Cora will know more about how his lineup will be constructed. But expect opening day to look a lot like Sunday.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Alex Cora Hints at Red Sox Opening Day Lineup in Sunday’s Spring Training Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.