Santana (elbow) is scheduled to serve as a backup designated hitter Friday in the Red Sox's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Boston will have a pair of rehabbing players man the DH spot Friday, as Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) will get two turns through the order before bowing out of the game in favor of Santana. While Santana's inclusion in the spring lineup is an indication that he's making good progress in his recovery from the modified Tommy John procedure he underwent in September, his availability for Opening Day is still in question. The Red Sox presumably wouldn't be keen on having Santana on the active roster if he's limited to DH duties only, so he'll likely need to prove that his elbow provides no complications in the field in order to break camp with the club.