Red Sox spring training schedule released; pitchers and catchers to begin workouts on Feb. 17

The games will go on and at the same spot in the calendar as they always do, but that’s about the only similarity 2021 Red Sox spring training will have with all that have come before.

Because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, fans who decide to visit JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, will not be allowed to roam the backfields where they might catch a close-up glimpse of a star like Xander Bogaerts or some up-and-coming prospect during a workout.

And only a select few — around 2,400, or 24 percent of the ballpark’s 9,900-seat capacity — will be allowed to enter the ballpark.