Boston Red Sox left-handers Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez will start the season on the disabled list, manager Alex Cora said Saturday.
Pomeranz is still recovering from a forearm strain he suffered early in spring training. He looked strong in a minor-league outing Friday, his first start since leaving a game with a flexor strain on March 2, but is still not ready, Cora said.
Rodriguez had ligament reconstruction on his right knee in mid-October and the recovery time was expected to be at least six months.
That leaves the Red Sox with a rotation of Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Brian Johnson, who was named to the rotation Friday after a strong outing against the New York Yankees.
With knuckleballer Steven Wright facing a 15-game suspension, right-hander Hector Velazquez looks to be the likeliest candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, but Cora said that Marcus Walden and Justin Haley are also in the mix.
In another move Saturday, the Red Sox traded infielder Deven Marrero to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named or cash.
The 27-year-old Marrero, who has made 50 starts for the Red Sox at third base over the past three seasons, hit .211 with four homers and 27 RBIs in 2017. He played in 22 spring training games this year and batted .245.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.