BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston Red Sox are looking to come out of the gate swinging when they start their pandemic-shortened season by playing against the Baltimore Orioles on opening day.

Major League Baseball released the schedule Monday for the 60-game season, showing that the Red Sox will take the field for the first time this year on Friday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The shortened season has the club playing American League East and National League East opponents only, and includes 30 home games at Fenway Park and 30 road games.

Red Sox Manager Ron Roenicke says it’s important the team excels quickly.

“You try to come out to a fast start. If you don’t, you know there needs to be a couple hot streaks,” Somewhere in there, you have to get hot.

After opening with the Orioles at Fenway, the Rex Sox will visit the Yankees a week later in New York for their first of 10 games against the Yankees.

The Red Sox will finish the regular season against the Atlanta Braves, who they will see six times.

The club is still without pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez who is awaiting COVID-19 test results after he was around someone who was sick.

“We feel like that where he was, because I know how much he was throwing before, before we started up, we felt really good with him being ready for the start,” Roenicke said of Rodríguez.

The Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals have canceled workouts due to COVID-19 testing results.

Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. says he is optimistic it’ll be figured out soon.

“Hopefully it gets better in order to, for everyone to be able to, you know, do their jobs,” he said.

The MLB regular season will begin on July 23 when the Yankees take on the Nationals and the San Francisco Giants face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

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