FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Henry Owens won’t have to wait long to make his first statement of spring training.
Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell announced Sunday that the 23-year-old left-hander, who has an outside chance of wresting the fifth spot in the starting rotation away from Joe Kelly, will start in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park. Rick Porcello, trying to rebound from a disappointing debut season with the Red Sox, will start Thursday’s game against the Twins at Hammond Stadium.
Owens finished strong in his major league debut last year, throwing 16 consecutive scoreless innings from Sept.