MESA, Ariz. -- Red Sox left-hander David Price will return to the mound on Tuesday, and it’s possible that he will pitch "early" in the opening series against the Mariners later this week, according to manager Alex Cora.

Price (norovirus) hasn’t pitched in a game since March 12, but he has thrown several bullpen sessions since then. He will face the Cubs in the final exhibition game before the Red Sox leave for Seattle, but Cora said it may be a brief appearance.

“It might be one inning, he feels that good right now,” Cora said. “We’ll make a decision based on that, see where he’s at. … If he feels like pitching one inning [Tuesday] is enough, that means he’ll probably pitch in Seattle.”

If Price isn’t ready to pitch Friday, then Nathan Eovaldi would likely follow Opening Day starter Chris Sale. Both will pitch during the opening series, depending on Price’s health.

Price only made one appearance during the Grapefruit League season. He pitched three innings against the Tigers on March 12, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Porcello OK after getting hit in head

There was a scary moment during the second inning of Monday night’s 3-2 loss to the Cubs when right-hander Rick Porcello was hit in the side of his head by a line drive off the bat of Willson Contreras.

As Cora and head athletic trainer Brad Pearson rushed to the mound, Porcello was quickly back on his feet, smiling and laughing. Porcello threw several pitches in front of Pearson, then remained in the game.

“Obviously it’s scary when you get a ball hit back at you, especially if it hits you in the head,” said Porcello, who added that he didn’t have any headaches or issues. “I was trying to let Brad and A.C. know that I was fine and being honest with them that I wasn’t feeling any symptoms or anything like that. I felt like the only way to do that was to crack a joke.”

Cora confirmed that Porcello was fine after the game.

“It’s amazing what they do, he’s so close and these guys, they hit the ball harder than ever and they throw harder than ever,” Cora said. “I’m glad that he’s going to be ready for his [first] start.”

In his final tuneup before this weekend’s opening series, Porcello allowed two earned runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He gave up a solo home run to Cubs starter Cole Hamels and an RBI double to Anthony Rizzo on a ball that landed between three Red Sox fielders in shallow left field and likely should have been caught.

Porcello threw an additional 17 pitches in the bullpen after he exited to get his pitch count to around 80.

“I felt like command with my two-seam fastball was good, four-seamer I threw a little bit better, executing there, and my breaking ball, gave up a couple hits with two strikes,” Porcello said. “I’ve just got to expand the ball a little bit better than that. But other than that, it was good. We were attacking guys, good lineup over there, so got everything we needed to get in.”

Pedroia back in Arizona

Veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia is back in Arizona, where he played his college ball at Arizona State. Pedroia wasn’t in Monday’s lineup, but he is scheduled to play Tuesday against the Cubs.

Cora said Pedroia (left knee injury) will stay in Arizona an extra day to spend time with family before he returns to the Red Sox team complex in Fort Myers, Fla., for extended Spring Training. Pedroia will need to play back-to-back games there before he goes on a Minor League rehab assignment, which could be near the start of the MiLB season.

On Sunday, Pedroia hosted his Red Sox teammates and coaches for a get-together at his Arizona home.

“I was joking with him because for that kid that played in Anaheim, his first big league game in 2006, I still remember, he was like 5-foot-6, like chubby -- he hates when I say that, but he was, he was a fat kid,” Cora said. “To see the house that he has, I was like, ‘Wow, you did well, bro. Wow, what a story, you should write a book.’ It was amazing.”

Up next

The Red Sox wrap up their exhibition slate against the Cubs on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m. ET at Sloan Park. Price is scheduled to start and Pedroia is set to be in the lineup. This two-game series marks the first time Boston has played in Arizona during Spring Training since 2005, when it played two exhibition games vs. the D-backs. The Red Sox held Spring Training in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 1959-65.