FORT MYERS, Fla. — In these early days of spring training, you file away stories for the future. There isn’t a lot happening in February that will directly affect the Red Sox team you’ll see open the season at Fenway on April 3.

The Big Three in the Sox rotation – Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello – have yet to throw a pitch in a Grapefruit League game. The three behind them – Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez – haven’t either. Spring training has been extended this year because of the World Baseball Classic. Many teams aren’t using starting pitchers, or even position players, in games until March.

So we watched Hector Velazquez face the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, just two weeks after the Sox purchased his contract from a Mexican League team. He struck out four in two innings, and we wondered if his fastball (which didn’t hit 90 Sunday) can translate to the big-league level. If all goes well he’ll be a depth guy, somewhere in the middle of the PawSox rotation in 2017.

The more intriguing player to watch Sunday was Blake Swihart. A year ago he was Boston’s Opening-Day starter behind the plate, the youngest catcher to start Opening Day for the Sox since Rich Gedman in 1983.

Ten days later, Swihart was optioned to Pawtucket where the Sox had him play some left field. They had a surplus of catchers, and wanted to figure out a way to get Swihart’s bat in the lineup. He made his big-league debut in left on May 20, and suffered a season-ending injury out there trying to catch a ball in foul territory at Fenway.

Now, he’s back as a catcher. Everything seems new. When he suddenly had trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher in the early days of camp we gasped. Swihart, still just 24 years old, said he wasn’t worried. He said we shouldn’t worry, either.

This being Boston, we worried plenty. Had Swihart contracted the “yips?” Had the Sox ruined one of the game’s top catching prospects by putting him in front of the Green Monster?

No. Swihart quietly put in the extra work to regain his mechanics behind the plate, and we haven’t seen him airmail a ball since.

He showed maturity for handling the type of situation that often becomes a firestorm in Boston. That impressed his manager.

“He admitted it and went out to work with our coaches to solve the problem,” said John Farrell.

Baseball is a game of adjustments. It’s one of the oldest cliches in sports. Swihart, after his whirlwind tour of the outfield and the operating room, is happy to be back behind the plate. He has adjusted some of his mechanics and the work is paying off.

“The last time he caught, and granted (it was) three innings, there were a number of pitches he was able to get borderline strikes on and there was a cleanliness to his receiving,” said Farrell.

If the regular season were to begin today, Swihart would find himself behind Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez on the catching depth chart. He’s the only one of the three with options remaining, so it’s very likely he’ll start the season in Pawtucket.

Yet he could have the most offensive upside of any of the catchers in camp. If he’s hot at the plate, the Sox would have to find a way to get him in the lineup.

He may have to be patient to get that chance. And he’ll have to keep working on the defensive side of his game to make it happen.

But it’s only February. Plenty of time to lay the groundwork needed to be part of games that matter in a few weeks.

Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.

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