PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After an emotional weekend in which he attended his brother Romell Jordan’s funeral in New Mexico, Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart returned to Spring Training on Monday feeling thankful for all the support he’s received from the baseball community.

“I mean, it’s been an emotional time,” said Swihart in his first interview since his brother died suddenly on Wednesday, at the age of 23.

“I’m doing a lot better now. Family’s doing good. Just the support, honestly everything has been awesome. The ceremony was good. Seeing all the flowers sent from everybody, all the messages I’ve received, not only by the team but all around baseball, it’s been great.”

Swihart was overwhelmed by how supportive his teammates were when he played the day after learning of Romell’s death, and how they stood on the top step for his at-bats and welcomed him back to the dugout after he got a single.

“It was special. I think [manager Alex Cora] said it the best: It was a game where everybody could have gone home, because we weren’t playing the Nationals [in the regular season] this year,” said Swihart. “I kind of didn’t think about them all being there until I took that first at-bat. It was special, a special moment, and being able to put on my uniform for him was awesome.

“I mean, it just proves how close we are as a team. We’re really brothers. There’s times where, during the year, we’re with these guys more than we are with our own families. They’re family in their own right. It just shows how close we are as a team.”

Though baseball takes a back seat to life in times of tragedy, Swihart knows that he has a job to try to win and he’s ready to resume the quest. He's scheduled to start for the Red Sox in Tuesday’s road game against the Nationals.

“Definitely. I’m ready to go, feeling good, and I’m excited to get back into shape,” he said. “... I don’t feel behind. I mean, if I need to go get at-bats, I can get them. Just go day by day, get ready to go. I think I missed three days. It won’t be too bad.”

After getting an up-close example of how fleeting life can be, Swihart is ready to do what he loves most.

“Just being around my brothers, just going out there and having fun, playing the game I love, I think it will definitely be good,” he said. “It’s time to go back to work.”