Verdugo (back) could begin taking swings sometime this week, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 23-year-old has reportedly been making good progress in his rehab work, but not swinging a bat has remained a hurdle for his return from a strained oblique and stress fracture in his back. Interim manager Ron Roenicke previously indicated Verdugo could be ready for Grapefruit League games in mid-March, and swinging a bat this week would be a significant step in that projection becoming reality.