Victorino out again, but on track for Opening Day

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino, who was out of the lineup again Wednesday and has played just eight games in Spring Training, remains on track to start on Opening Day in Baltimore on Monday.

"Sure it would be nice if there were more than eight games, but there haven't been," said manager John Farrell. "He's going to be our right fielder on Opening Day, I can tell you that."

The last couple of days, Victorino didn't play because of discomfort in his left side.

"He is improved," said Farrell. "He would be playing if we were in the regular season, and he was really cleared to play today. I felt like with where we are in camp, another day, just precautionary is where we're at in keeping him out of the lineup."

Earlier in camp, Victorino was held back so that he could strengthen up some of the areas of his body that plagued him at times last season.

Now that Victorino is hitting exclusively right-handed instead of switch-hitting, Farrell thinks he won't need as much time as in previous springs to find his hitting stroke.

"I thought his timing was starting to be a little more consistent the last couple of times out," said Farrell. "This has been a little bump in the road. We're expecting him back on the field tomorrow."