FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Two days after taking a line drive off the hip in a spring training game, Chris Sale threw a bullpen session Monday that put him in line to start Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox.

"Sale is good," said manager Alex Cora, who reiterated that the left-hander will face the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday at Tropicana Field.

With a flurry of moves Monday, the Red Sox appear to have set the rest of their Opening Day roster, too, and it will include a pair of surprises: relievers Bobby Poyner and Marcus Walden.

Left-handed pitchers Drew Pomeranz (flexor) and Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) were placed on the 10-day disabled list. Right-hander Steven Wright joined them on the DL after flying to New York to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left knee.

Meanwhile, reliever Brandon Workman was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Justin Haley was assigned to the minor leagues, leaving 30 players in big league camp. But second baseman Dustin Pedroia, infielder Marco Hernandez and right-handers Austin Maddox and Tyler Thornburg will soon be placed on the DL, too, trimming the roster to 25.

The Red Sox don't have to submit their roster until Thursday. But Poyner, a former 14th-round draft pick, appeared to lock up a spot over the weekend when the Red Sox optioned fellow lefty Robby Scott to Triple-A. Poyner, 25, has posted a 0.87 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10⅓ innings this spring.

Walden, 29, has pinballed between organizations, going from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Oakland Athletics to the Cincinnati Reds to the Minnesota Twins and finally to the Red Sox, with an independent league stint mixed in. He went 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA in Triple-A last season but starred in camp as a non-roster invitee. In seven appearances, Walden posted a 0.69 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 13 innings.

"I was in independent ball in 2015, and I honestly called my wife one day in June and told her, 'If you want me to come home and quit, I'll go home and go to school, get a job,'" Walden said. "She told me, 'Not a chance.' The last three or four years, that's what kept me going."

Said Cora: "I was like, 'I am not going to beat around it. I am just going to tell you, you are a big leaguer.' His reaction was outstanding. That was awesome. For how tough this job is because I know I am going to disappoint some people, to tell a guy he's a big leaguer, that was cool to do."

The Red Sox chose Walden over Workman despite the latter having big league experience. Workman posted a 5.59 ERA and struggled with his command in spring training.

Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello are scheduled to start the season's first three games, all against the Rays. Cora said right-hander Hector Velazquez will start the series finale against the Rays next Sunday and lefty Brian Johnson will face the Miami Marlins on Monday.