Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged Tuesday that Brasier (conditioning) may not be ready to go for Opening Day, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Following his late arrival at spring training due to a personal matter, Brasier has yet to catch up with Boston's other bullpen arms. Brasier has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, and with Cora indicating that the team won't rush the right-hander back into action, he could be in store for a brief stint on the IL to begin the season while he ramps up. The fact that Brasier isn't dealing with any sort of injury is encouraging, but his absence from Grapefruit League games could take him out of the running for Boston's up-for-grabs closer job. Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes currently look like the frontrunners for the gig.