CLEVELAND — The series opener between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians was postponed by rain on Friday, setting up a day-night doubleheader between the clubs on Saturday.

With a light drizzle falling and the tarp covering the infield at Progressive Field, the game was called at 5:05 p.m. — more than two hours before the scheduled first pitch.

The teams will play a split doubleheader on Saturday with the first game starting at 1:10 p.m. The second game is scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. Fans will be cleared from the ballpark between games.

Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA) will start Game 1 for Cleveland against Boston’s Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66). In Game 2, rookie Doug Nikhazy will make his major league debut for the Guardians against Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23) for the Red Sox.

The opener will be Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s 1,000th career game with the franchise. He’ll be the fifth manager in team history to manage 1,000 games, joining Joe Cronin (2,007), Terry Francona (1,296), Pinky Higgins (1,119) and Bill Carrigan (1,003).

“When somebody mentioned 999 yesterday, I thought, oh shoot, that’s a lot,” Cora said before Friday’s game was washed out. “It’s been good. A lot of ups and downs, not only with the organization as a person but with the suspension.”

Cora won a World Series in his first season as Boston’s manager in 2018 before being suspended by Major League Baseball in 2020 for his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. The Red Sox fired him before bringing him back.

“I’ve had some great days, some bad days and some horrible days. But I show up every day. I’ve been very genuine with you guys, very transparent and tell you guys like it is, right?” he said to reporters. “I think that’s what people like and the players like that too.

“A thousand is a lot. I never dreamed of managing in the big leagues for so long. I’ve been managing at the big-league level for a long period of time, but I’ve enjoyed every moment. And to do it with this organization means a lot.”

Brito to miss time

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians infield prospect Juan Brito could miss three months after undergoing surgery Friday to repair a ligament in his right thumb.

Brito, who competed for Cleveland’s starting second baseman’s job this spring, got hurt while sliding into third base for Triple-A Columbus on April 17. Initial tests didn’t show a fracture, but he continued to have issues.

He visited hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham, who recommended surgery for a high-grade sprain. The team said Brito underwent the procedure at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute.

While there is no definitive timetable on Brito’s return, the Guardians said he could be restricted from game activities from 8 to 12 weeks. He’ll report to the team’s training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, in the next few days to begin rehab.

The 23-year-old Brito is regarded as one of the top prospects in Cleveland’s system. He was batting .291 with two homers and 10 RBIs for the Clippers.

“We had him starting to play a little right field just to get some defensive versatility and try and get the bat in the order,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “But the little bit I’ve seen of Juan, you see potential of a power hitter that can also hit for average and play pretty good defense. A lot of talent there.”

The Guardians acquired Brito from Colorado in November 2022 in the trade for outfielder Nolan Jones, who returned to Cleveland in a deal before this season.

Last year, Brito batted .256 at Columbus with 21 homers, 40 doubles and 84 RBIs in 144 games.

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