DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Even as Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez continues to progress after suffering a dislocated kneecap on Feb. 27, the team still has no set timetable on when he'll be ready to pitch.
Rodriguez took the mound and practiced other dry drills on Thursday and then went through long toss on Friday.
Red Sox manager John Farrell sees the left-hander gaining confidence.
"It's a matter of feeling confident with intensity and exertion," Farrell said. "That comes with repetition of throwing and working on the mound."
The left-hander felt a cramping sensation in his right calf during Monday's throwing session, but Farrell said Rodriguez no longer has any discomfort.
Farrell said earlier in the week that Rodriguez will likely need to make his first spring start by March 17 if he's going to be ready to open the season.
If Rodriguez starts the season on the disabled list, knuckleballer Steven Wright and left-hander Henry Owens are the likely candidates to fill his spot in the rotation.
Worth noting
• Clay Buchholz threw a simulated game on Friday at JetBlue Park, facing 13 batters and tossing 54 pitches in three innings.