Florie Ready to Return to Red Sox

Bryce Florie’s arm is ready and his eyesight has improved, but he might not know if he is ready to return to baseball until he fields his first grounder back to the mound.

Four months after his eye socket was broken by a line drive, the Red Sox reliever is heading south to get a head start on spring training. He was scheduled to leave Boston on Friday and begin working out at the team’s complex in Fort Myers, Fla., about a month before the rest of his team reports.

“The eye still is bad. But the doctors have given me the OK to see what I can do,” he said Thursday before the annual awards dinner for the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. “Next weekend, I’ll be playing ball again.”

Florie broke his eye socket and cheekbone when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Ryan Thompson of the New York Yankees. Florie fell on his stomach, kicked his legs, then rolled over and sat up with blood dripping from his face.

Although doctors at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary were pessimistic at first, swelling in Florie’s right eye has subsided and the blood has cleared. He has been working out at his home in Charleston, S.C. to stay in shape.

“I’ve talked about (being ready for spring training) since the day it happened,” he said. “I will be a relief to get started again. I’m confident that, as hard as I know I will work, it will be OK.”

More than 1,000 people were expected to crowd the hotel ballroom for the 62nd annual dinner. Among the attractions were Martinez, shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and new Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez.