Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval appears to have taken the team's request to show up this spring in better shape seriously.

"Right now he's roughly 20 pounds lighter than the last game he played for us in 2015," manager John Farrell told reporters Thursday. "I know for a fact that both guys (Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez) went into the offseason with some clear markers, with some clear goals to achieve from a physical standpoint. Both are doing that.

"I can tell you this, after meeting with Hanley, I spent another day or so with Pablo. Pablo's extremely eager to get back. He feels like he's got to make amends for a year ago and is eager to do just that.''

Farrell indicated earlier this month that Sandoval's struggles through his first season in Boston were a "humbling experience." He slashed a career-low .245/.292/.366 with 10 home runs in 126 games, saw a decline in his defensive abilities, and struggled through injuries.

In order to help combat some of the same problems heading into 2016, the Red Sox detailed a strict workout regime for Sandoval to complete during the offseason to get him to a more preferred weight.

"I'll be very candid with you, he's been going through two-a-days for about a month now where he's got BP and some baseball work in the morning and the afternoons are strength and conditioning," Farrell said earlier this month.