Red Sox's Tyler Thornburg: Fires bullpen Wednesday

Thornburg (arm) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled to throw another on Saturday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.

Analysis:

He hasn't made an appearance since March 1 while fighting through a dead arm phase, but manager John Farrell hasn't ruled out the possibility of Thornburg being ready to go by Opening Day. The bullpen went well on Wednesday, and if he gets through Saturday's session with no setbacks, Thornburg could see game action early next week. Once he returns, the 28-year-old is expected to slot in behind closer Craig Kimbrel as the top setup man, although Farrell could ease him back into things in lower-leverage situations to begin the season.