Rodriguez is emerging as the leading candidate to start on Opening Day against the Blue Jays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.
Boston manager Ron Roenicke told reporters Wednesday that he doesn't want to name an Opening Day starter too soon, but he's already told the pitcher he's decided on. Rodriguez is scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays and would get the nod in the opener if he continues to start every five days. The 26-year-old posted a career-best 3.81 ERA across 203.1 innings (34 starts) during his fifth campaign with Boston in 2019. If the team's ace, Chris Sale, is forced to miss multiple months to begin the season, Rodriguez will be heavily relied upon to deliver quality innings to a Red Sox team that will likely feature three new members to their starting rotation compared to last year's staff.