FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox were running a simple popup drill on Saturday morning when lefty Eduardo Rodriguez went to the side to make a play and instead landed on the ground.
There was a scare for a few minutes, as Rodriguez stayed on the ground while members of the training staff tended to his right knee. There was relief not long after, when Rodriguez got up under his own power and gave a thumbs-up sign.
"It was a scare because I felt like I broke my knee," Rodriguez said. "It's fine now. It was a scare, but I'm going to be fine."
Rodriguez got his spike caught in the ground and probably twisted his knee.
"Going through the training-room assessment, they were unable to reproduce any kind of discomfort," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We'll certainly get a better read on it when he comes in tomorrow morning."
The Red Sox hope Rodriguez will be one of their top starters this season after a strong rookie year, when he went 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA.
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Worth noting
• New Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel threw live batting practice for the first time this spring against Minor Leaguers. The righty displayed the strong arsenal he's been known for during his standout career in the National League.
"He's got such unique ability with his fastball," said Farrell. "It's impressive to see the ability that he has with it, particularly when he's up in the strike zone or on the top end of the strike zone with it. I thought for a controlled bullpen setting, he was crisp. With each successive outing, you see some additional arm strength and some power. We're excited to see him when he gets into game situations."
• One player to keep an eye on during camp is lefty Roenis Elias, who is in competition for a spot in both the rotation and the bullpen. Elias was the other pitcher the Red Sox got from the Mariners along with Carson Smith in the trade for lefty Wade Miley back in December. Elias threw live batting practice against Rusney Castillo on Saturday.
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"He's one of those guys that you watch in a competitive environment and he starts to stand out, so you see the creativeness come out of him. You see the varied arm slots, the ability to spin the breaking ball from multiple angles," said Farrell. "You can see why his savvy would play out in game situations."