BOSTON -- The ever-changing starting rotation for the Red Sox took another twist on Saturday when Ryan Weber was optioned to the alternate training site in Pawtucket, R.I.

The soft-throwing righty was one of only three starters manager Ron Roenicke had in his rotation for the first two weeks of the season, as the other two spots have been combinations of openers and bullpen games.

The Red Sox hoped that Weber, a 29-year-old journeyman, was ready to take advantage of his opportunity to hold down a rotation spot. But Weber faltered in all three of his starts, combining to pitch a total of just 10 innings, allowing 15 hits, 11 earned runs, five homers and nine walks while striking out only three.

“With Weby, he needs to get down and throw the ball the way we know he can. We saw it all spring long and he was locked in,” Roenicke said. “His command was outstanding. He wasn’t walking anybody. We need to get him back to that pitcher. He agreed when we talked to him last night. He knows he’s not pitching the way he should be, so that was the reason for sending him down.”

To replace Weber on the roster, the Red Sox recalled righty Dylan Covey from the alternate site. Look for Covey to be used in long-relief situations.

Who will fill Weber’s spot in the rotation when it comes up on Wednesday night against the Rays? Roenicke indicated it will be someone from Pawtucket.

“We already have plans on who’s going to come up and be one of the other starters. And like we talked about, we’re waiting to see if somebody takes off. And who knows? Maybe that will be the third or fourth spot and every fifth day we won’t have to worry about it,” Roenicke said. “Right now it’s a challenge, there’s no question. We have a lot of pieces that do different things.”

While Roenicke offered no hints as to who would take Weber’s place, one logical candidate is lefty Brian Johnson, who has made 26 career starts, including 20 over the last two seasons.

Change at the top
Left fielder Andrew Benintendi, mired in a 2-for-33 slump to start the season, was dropped from leadoff to the seventh spot in the batting order for Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays. He grounded into a double play in his only at-bat before Kevin Pillar pinch-hit for him in the fourth inning.

Alex Verdugo, who belted three homers in the previous two games, is now the leadoff hitter. He went 1-for-4 with an infield single on Saturday. It is entirely new territory for Verdugo, who came into the night with just one start as a leadoff batter in his career, a hitless performance for the Dodgers last season.

“I’m trying to get Benny going and maybe that relaxes him some going down in the order, and then also with Verdugo being hot the last couple games,” Roenicke said. “When he’s hitting well, he can go first, second or third, he can go six, seven, eight, nine. There’s a lot of spots.

“We think he’s getting to that point where he’s swinging good enough, confident enough that in the leadoff spot, we know how important that is, and hopefully he doesn’t do anything different.

“Hopefully he continues to be patient at the plate. I know he hit a couple of homers yesterday, but hopefully he’s not trying to do that all the time. He’s going to hit homers, but we need him on base for the big guys.”

Meanwhile, the Red Sox know it’s important that Benintendi finds a way to get back on track.

“He hasn’t found his rhythm,” Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez said. “I’ve been there. Every player who has played this game has been there, that’s why this game is so interesting. It’s up and down. One year you don’t feel it, the next year you’re playing good. That’s the beauty of this game. I tell him, ‘Continue fighting and continue to work. Don’t stop working and you’re going to find it soon. You’re a great player.’"