Eovaldi ready to bring relief to bullpen

BALTIMORE — Nathan Eovaldi presumably has passed all the necessary tests and is ready to return to the Red Sox, where he’ll join the bullpen.

RED SOX NOTEBOOK

Eovaldi pitched an inning in Pawtucket on Thursday, and manager Alex Cora said then the team would wait see how he responded. Before last night’s series opener against the Orioles at Camden Yards, Cora said Eovaldi “feels great” and will likely be activated today. The Sox were going to wait until after the game to make a final decision.

Eovaldi traveled here with the Red Sox on Thursday. As far as what Eovaldi’s initial role might entail, Cora and the team were still mapping it out.

“We’ll find a way,” the manager said. “I do think that obviously we gotta protect him, but at the same time, he’s going to make us better. We feel comfortable with where he’s at stuffwise. The game will dictate how we’re going to use him, but we’ll sit down and talk about it. We’ll use him in high-leverage situations. I don’t know if we’re going to work him into it, like go ahead and get an inning. He did that (Thursday). He feels great. We know what he can do as far as competing. We know the guy. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.”

It seems the Sox will pick and choose their spots with Eovaldi, and while he didn’t rule out he could potentially close games, Cora noted how Brandon Workman has taken that role lately. Workman recorded a five-out save in Wednesday’s win against the Blue Jays and has dominated over the last two months, allowing just three earned runs in 21 appearances.

Workman’s reliability in that spot has allowed Cora to bring Matt Barnes in earlier.

“It feels like there’s been structure lately,” Cora said. “It’s not that I don’t want to name a closer, but I’m pretty comfortable with the way we’re doing things, and adding Nate is going to help us to get better.”

More than anything, Cora said it will help relieve a bullpen that’s been overstressed through the first half of the season.

“I think that’s the most important thing,” Cora said. “You don’t have to go to the same guys when you have a lead. You have one more option. … That’s the good thing about having more options and guys that are throwing the ball well. We trust (Josh Taylor ). ( Heath Hembree), he’ll be better.

“That’s the important thing. Instead of going to the same guys over and over and over again, we can give guys a day off knowing that the guy we’re going to use that day, the stuff is the same or better.”

Heat wave

Temperature at first pitch last night was 96 degrees as severe heat takes over the region this weekend. It’s expected to reach 100 degrees today and tomorrow, and the Red Sox are paying attention as they try to take care of their players.

“We’ll do our best,” Cora said. “But we know where we’re at. One thing for sure, we’re playing in air conditioning on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (at Tampa Bay) … but we have to make sure we feel good. We just had the break, but we had some long games at home, rain delays and all that stuff. It’s been going on for what, a month already. We’ll talk about it. …

“It’s gonna be tough, but I know they don’t mind. When it’s hot like this, they like it too, offensively.”

Lineup shuffle

Christian Vazquez, who entered the night hitting .323 over his last 55 games, started at first base with Cora opting to keep the catcher’s bat in the lineup. Sandy Leon was the catcher for David Price.

Mitch Moreland (quad) resumed his rehab assignment in Pawtucket, batting third and playing first base. Cora wasn’t willing to set a goal on when they hope to activate Moreland.

“Let’s take it step by step,” the manager said.