FORT MYERS — Because Travis Shaw represents all that is right about the Red Sox, it was hard to find a damp eye when news broke yesterday that Pablo Sandoval is going to miss some time at third base due to a stiff back.

Furrowed brows over what’s happening to a bullpen that has all of a sudden taken a turn for the worse in the health department? Oh yeah, that’s something real to worry about.

No wonder manager John Farrell rapped his knuckles on the supposedly wooden table top before answering a question about another satisfying outing from the club’s new closer Craig Kimbrel after yesterday’s 4-1 victory over the Mets.

The clean, three-strikeout inning was Kimbrel’s fifth scoreless appearance in five games this spring. All is bright for the very, very back of the bullpen.

But in the middle, now that vaunted youngster Carson Smith is out for what appears to be at least a month with a muscle strain near his elbow, the strength that the Red Sox had hoped to attain with both Kimbrel and Smith has been sliced in half.

Yes, it’s great news that Smith is not facing the prospect of Tommy John surgery. But no, nobody can say when he is going to be able to pitch again.

And to top it off, 40-year-old Koji Uehara is reporting “general soreness” after only two somewhat shaky game appearances.

Forget the legitimate long-term uncertainty that exists around the two right-handers. For a team that is hoping to get out of the gate quickly, these setbacks definitely count as concerning developments.

Seven of the Red Sox’ first 13 games come against the Blue Jays’ ferocious right-handed heavy lineup — with the likes of Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista. Smith’s lights-out stuff and Uehara’s reliable nastiness were going to be key to those games, especially with the Sox loathe to throw righty Junichi Tazawa anywhere near Blue Jays hitters, considering they tend to own him.

When it came to Uehara starting his season on the disabled list, Farrell said “not at this point” — so there’s no need to panic about that outcome, at this point.

But there’s also no need to think the Red Sox are resting on a cushion where they have the luxury to think about matchups against the Blue Jays, or the almost-as-fearsome Orioles in the home-opening series.

No, now it’s all about finding the best out of anyone who’s still healthy.

“We’ll take the guys that are most deserving and protect us with some length,” said Farrell when asked about the Blue Jays games. “That will be factored in, but I think first and foremost is who’s pitching the best before we break camp.”

To replace Smith for the time being in that nebulous seventh-inning or righty-matchup moment, the Red Sox have their eyes on Matt Barnes (81⁄3 scoreless innings this spring) and Noe Ramirez (2.08 ERA after 82⁄3 innings, with six walks and eight strikeouts).

“With (Heath) Hembree being optioned out, you start to focus in on Matt Barnes, Noe Ramirez as the two guys that would be most likely to compete for a spot to take the place of Carson,” said Farrell. “We’ve got the remainder of camp to iron that out.”

Replacing Smith and waiting out Uehara are hardly the only pitching issues left for the Red Sox to iron out. They are still weighing how to replace starter Eduardo Rodriguez.

Both Roenis Elias and Steven Wright are in the mix, yet each is also in the mix for a long-man spot in the bullpen. That’s why Elias will get another look in the bullpen besides the one inning he threw yesterday. Barnes is also being considered for a long reliever’s role, which is why so many spots are up in the air at the moment.

The Red Sox can thank their lucky stars that Kimbrel is looking great, and that David Price can be expected to be the ace he is, but there is no getting around the fact that the Smith injury counts as a serious setback. Price and yesterday’s starter Joe Kelly can’t be the only starters who look as if they’re ready to pitch deep into games and pile up the innings that will ease the usage of the Sox’ bullpen. As the rotation goes, so goes the bullpen, which is just one reason why the concerns about the depth of the Red Sox rotation — namely Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello — are real and legitimate.

Add in Smith’s demise, and you start to see how the Red Sox’ hopes of a strong start look much tougher with the news about Rodriguez, Smith and, yes, Uehara.

The Red Sox can survive just fine without Sandoval. Without enough pitching, they will need far more than knocking on wood.