Former Red Sox DH-first baseman Kyle Schwarber is coming to Philadelphia, agreeing Wednesday, March 16, 2022, to a four-year deal with the Phillies worth about $80 million, (AP photo)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale has a stress fracture in his rib cage and will miss the start of the season.

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom said Wednesday morning that Sale had the problem when he reported to the team’s spring training complex at the end of the lockout.

“He’s not throwing, basically, at this point,” Bloom said. “We’re talking weeks, not days, until we can get a baseball in his hands.”

A seven-time All-Star, Sale spent all of 2020 and the first 4½ months of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made five starts in 2021 before testing positive for COVID-19 a second time.

He went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts, and also made three starts in the postseason, including a loss in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Houston.

The injury means Sale, who said he remains unvaccinated, probably will avoid the uncomfortable position of sitting out the Red Sox series in Toronto April 25-28. Canada requires a player to be fully vaccinated to enter the country.

SCHWARBER TO PHILLIES

Kyle Schwarber is coming to Philadelphia, agreeing Wednesday to a four-year deal with the Phillies worth about $80 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

A 29-year-old slugging outfielder, Schwarber split last season with Washington and Boston. Schwarber agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract with Washington last January that included a $7 million salary and an $11.5 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout. He was traded to the Red Sox in July.

He hit .266 with 32 home runs and belted a grand slam for the Red Sox in the AL Championship Series.

Schwarber will likely spend time as the Phillies designated hitter with time in the outfield and first base.

Reigning NL MVP had stumped for the Phillies to sign Schwarber. Bryce Harper said this week it would be a “downer” if the Phillies didn’t sign Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos or Schwarber. The teams needs a left fielder and President Dave Dombrowski said Sunday ownership hasn’t given him any limitations on spending money.

Harper said at the Phillies spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida he was thrilled with the move.

“It’s huge for us. It gives us another bat in the lineup,” Harper said. “He’s a proven winner everywhere he’s gone. He’s done a really good job. He gives us a huge opportunity to fill that void out in left field.”

The Phillies finished 82-80 last season, their first winning record since 2011, but extended their postseason drought to an NL-worst 10 years.

“I know the fans want us to be a winning team and this organization wants us to be a winning team,” Harper said. “Being able to add somebody like that is going to help us that much more.”

Schwarber won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016.

SOX SIGN TWO HURLERS, PAXTON ON 60-DAY IL

The Red Sox signed former Oakland reliever Jake Diekman to a two-year deal, and lefty Matt Strahm to a one-year contract but also placed James Paxton on the 60-day Injured List.

Diekman had a 3.86 earned run average with a career high seven saves in 67 relief appearances with the A’s last year, ranking 10th in strikeouts among AL relievers with 83 in 60.2 innings. In 2020, he had a 0.42 ERA in 21 appearances.

Strahm pitched for the Royals (2016-17) and Padres (2018-21) and spent most of last year on the injured list due to right patellar tendon repair and right knee inflammation, making only six appearances.

Lefty starter Paxton,33, was signed by the Red Sox prior to the lockout after a career with Seattle, then the Yankees, and last year with Seattle before undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 13 and missing the rest of the season.

RED SOX ANNOUNCED RESCHEDULED DATES

The Red Sox Wednesday announced the new dates for the originally scheduled first two series of the season that were initially cancelled due to the lockout.

Under the revised schedule, the Red Sox and Tampa, who were supposed to open the season March 31 at Fenway Park, will instead close the season Oct. 3-5.

The next series that was wiped out with the Orioles will be split across three separate times: a May 28 doubleheader, Aug. 11 and Sept. 26, all at Fenway Park.

Boston opens the season at the Yankees on April 7 and the Fenway home opener is now April 15 vs. the Minnesota Twins.

(Telegraph staff writer Tom King contributed to this report.)