1. The starting lineup for the Red Sox has been confirmed.

Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock have earned the final two slots in the starting rotation, joining Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, and Kutter Crawford, according to a Friday announcement made by Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Cooper Criswell, who was vying with him for a spot in the rotation, will be optioned to Triple-A and will continue to play a long game. Zack Kelly, a right-hander, is also being optioned.

Houck and Whitlock, who were sidelined by injuries during 2023, have had outstanding spring performances. With significantly increased velocity, Houck has recorded a 2.40 ERA over 15 innings with 16 strikeouts against just three walks, while Whitlock has a 3.45 ERA over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings with 16 strikeouts and two walks. That excludes the 5.2 innings he pitched in a recent minor league game without giving up any runs and striking out ten.Though they haven’t lived up to the expectations placed on them, Houck—a former first-round selection—and Whitlock—one of the most successful Rule 5 selections in Red Sox history—have long been seen as future cornerstones of the team’s rotation.

Houck has frequently had trouble pitching through the end of games. Last season, he missed two months due to back surgery that occurred during the winter. Whitlock has also had a history of injuries. He spent the first three seasons of the previous campaign recovering from surgery on his hip, with two of those episodes being related to problems with his right elbow.

The two will now have another opportunity to prove that they are reliable rotation anchors in the long run.

On Friday afternoon, the Red Sox, who had a roster mostly made up of minor league players, lost 5-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston’s lone run was scored by Enmanuel Valdez with a solo home run, while Pablo Reyes also went 1 for 3.

In their final spring starts, Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton for Bello’s game and the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers for Pivetta’s. Josh Winckowski will start after Pivetta against the Twins, with the first pitch set for 6:05 p.m., while Isaiah Campbell and Greg Weissert are also scheduled to take the mound against Pittsburgh.

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