FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Eduardo Rodriguez is expected to throw 20 pitches off a mound Wednesday at the Red Sox facility, the first time he'll have done so since he dislocated his right kneecap in a fielding drill on Feb. 27.

John Farrell continued to decline to close the door on Rodriguez being ready to start the regular season. Farrell reiterated, however, that he doesn't want to skip steps with Rodriguez -- and the young lefty already is out of time to be ready to start the season if the Red Sox indeed aren't going to skip steps.

Each of the other starting pitchers in camp with the Red Sox are scheduled to make at least six starts (or, at least, six multi-inning appearances) before the regular season begins. David Price, for example, made his first start in a simulated game on March 5, lining him up to pitch on four days' rest six times before he takes the ball on April 4 in Cleveland. Joe Kelly made his third start on Monday afternoon, lining him up to make seven starts before he takes the ball April 8 or 9 in Toronto.

With an off-day after Opening Day, the Red Sox don't need a fifth starter until April 10. But for Rodriguez to make the requisite six starts by then, he'd have had to make his first start last Friday. He instead will throw off a bullpen mound Wednesday and then again at least twice more, probably Friday and Sunday, which wouldn't get him into a game earlier than March 22.

If all goes smoothly from this point forward, he still won't be ready to pitch in a regular-season game until April 26 -- by which time his replacement would have made at least three starts in his absence. Roenis Elias, Henry Owens and Steven Wright are the candidates to win that job. Brian Johnson already appeared to be behind the other three in the competition, and a sprained toe suffered Monday will sideline him for one turn through the rotation, putting him further behind.

It's possible that whoever wins the fifth spot in the rotation will pitch in the third game of the season, the final game of the series in Cleveland. Toronto's lineup is loaded with righties, which explains why Kelly and Porcello both are lined up to pitch against the Blue Jays. Asking a lefty like Elias or Owens to face the Blue Jays to start the season would be a tall order.