A familiar face returns to Rogers Centre Friday night, asJohn Farrell leads the Boston Red Sox into Toronto. Farrell, who managed the Toronto Blue Jays for two years, returns for the first time since being traded following the 2012 season.

Farrell told a large group of reporters that it’s good to be back in Toronto and maintained that he gave it his all as the team’s manager in 2011-12. He said he walked to Rogers Centre before Friday’s game, speaking to a number of fans on his way.

Farrell’s replacement, John Gibbons, lines the Blue Jays up without their starting right fielder, Jose Bautista.

Gibbons told reporters that he hopes to have Bautista in the lineup as the designated hitter Saturday. It’s not likely that Gibbons will call on him to pinch hit Friday, however.

Bautista tweaked his right ankle in Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. He said earlier Friday that his ankle was feeling all right and that he would get treatment before determining whether to play against the Red Sox. Rajai Davis gets his first start of the season in place of Bautista.

Mark DeRosa remains in the lineup against left-hander Felix Doubront. DeRosa, who started for the first time Thursday night, has historically hit left-handed pitching better than right-handers. The Blue Jays first had DeRosa in the lineup as their designated hitter before moving him to first base and shifting Edwin Encarnacion to DH.

Josh Johnson will start for the Blue Jays for the first time. The 29-year-old right-hander joined the Blue Jays in November when the team completed a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins.

Johnson pitched 191.1 innings for the Marlins last year, with 165 strikeouts, 65 walks and a ground ball rate of 46.2%. He becomes the third of Toronto’s three new starters to make his season debut, following R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle.

Johnson will face a Red Sox lineup that includes a number of newcomers. Here’s what will be on the lineup card Farrell delivers before first pitch, via Sportsnet’s Mike Wilner.