Red Sox’s Alex Cora gives potential timelines for Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello to return

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Though three Red Sox starting pitchers will begin the year on the injured list, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be out long. Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello are expected to rejoin the rotation sometime in mid-to-late April while James Paxton is expected back at some point in May. Manager Alex Cora offered updates on all three pitchers Saturday at Fenway South:

Whitlock two outings away from return

Whitlock (rehabbing from September hip surgery) pitched in a minor league game on a back field at Fenway South on Saturday afternoon. He went 3 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out three batters. Forty of his 63 pitches were strikes.

Whitlock is set to start on Opening Day for Triple-A Worcester on Friday and is expected to pitch five innings. Cora said the righty will likely require one more rehab start after that, which would line up to be on April 5. Assuming all goes well, it’s possible Whitlock could be activated while the Red Sox are in St. Petersburg for a four-game series from April 10-13. His schedule would line up with the April 11 game against Tampa Bay.

“He had the whole spring to build up and it’s not the whole like, ‘You’re gonna be a bullpen guy and then all of the sudden you’re gonna start.’ I think he learned a lot last year, the few weeks that he was a starter, understanding how to prepare, how to use his stuff. He’s in a great spot. Physically, night and day compared to last year. Last year, he could barely walk. Now he’s just a normal athlete, which is the most important thing.”

Bello a bit behind Whitlock

Bello (slow buildup after forearm soreness early in camp) allowed one run and struck out four batters in three innings in a Double-A game Friday afternoon, throwing 42 pitches. Cora said Bello is likely to throw in another B-game Wednesday at Fenway South and then will likely head to either Double-A Portland or Triple-A Worcester.

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Bello is expected to make his first minor league regular season start around April 4. He’ll likely need three more outings (including Wednesday’s) before being considered fully ready. That means he could be activated at some point in mid-to-late April.

Paxton throws live BP as progression restarts

Paxton (hamstring strain) faced hitters Saturday for the first time since March 4, when he strained his hamstring in his Grapefruit League debut against Minnesota. Paxton is about to restart his spring progression, meaning he will need to make five or six starts before being considered for activation.

Saturday’s outing represented an important step for the oft-injured lefty, who may return sometime in May.

“I’m glad that he’s back on the mound, which is very important,” Cora said. “My high of the spring was him throwing 94-95 (mph) (before getting hurt). Not disappointed, but like more for him. This guy has been through so much the last few years and he was feeling really good in that inning and then that happened. The fact that he’s back there (throwing again) tells a lot about him. There’s no obstacles for him. He’s gonna keep going and I believe he’s gonna contribute, sooner rather than later, to what we are trying to accomplish.”

Cora said Paxton will likely fly to Boston with the team for Opening Day festivities then return to Fort Myers to continue his rehab.