FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Mike Timlin walked to his locker looking every one of his 40 years. He had a huge ice pack strapped to his side then went to the trainer’s room for more treatment.

That was Thursday morning when the Red Sox reliever still had plans to pitch for the first time in spring training on Saturday, when he turns 41.

To be safe, though, he had an MRI later Thursday. And on Friday, Boston manager Terry Francona said Timlin would not throw a ball for a week. The MRI turned out OK, but his left side was still sore.

So as Timlin enters his 17th major league season, his ability to stay calm on the mound might come in handy as he recovers off the field.

“After you go through the first couple of times, you learn not to panic in certain situations,” Timlin said Thursday before learning he wouldn’t pitch against Detroit in Lakeland. “You recognize when the panic starts in. You recognize the symptoms where you’re going, “OK, now, I’m starting to think too much. Just calm down and relax.’ Experience will tell you that.”

While throwing batting practice on Feb. 25, he felt a spasm that put him on the sidelines. And he fought through a tough second half of last season that he attributed, in part, to rushing his preparations to get ready to pitch in the World Baseball Classic last March.

“You do your best with what you have,” Timlin said.

The right-hander threw about 40 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday and would like to win Boston’s vacant closer’s job.

But with the regular season starting April 2, he won’t pitch much, if at all, during spring training. With Jonathan Papelbon moved into the rotation, Joel Pineiro, Brendan Donnelly and Julian Tavarez are other possibilities for that spot.

Yet Timlin, who saved a total of 22 games the past two seasons, isn’t obsessing over his chances.

“I would like to be the closer on this team but, like I’ve said many times before, if I’m closing and it makes the team better, that’s great,” he said. “If I’m setting up and it makes the team better, I’m great with that, too.

“Obviously, closing is, I guess, a higher regarded position. But, at this point in my career, that doesn’t matter to me.”

Timlin is the only one of the four candidates who has closed for the Red Sox. Tavarez was a setup man and starter in his only season with the team, and Pineiro and Donnelly were acquired in the offseason.

“I just want to digest, get to know them a little bit,” Francona said. “I just don’t have answers yet, so I might as well not make them up.”

For the second straight year, Timlin’s spring training was interrupted – by the WBC last year and by his side problem this year.

“This is just precautionary. We want to make sure everything’s OK,” Timlin said before his debut was delayed.

On his birthday last year, Timlin pitched to two batters in the United States 17-0 win over South Africa in the WBC. He relieved Roger Clemens, allowed one hit and retired one batter.

But Timlin had to get ready sooner than normal and, by the end of the season, his shoulder was tired. On July 3, his ERA was 1.61. He allowed three earned runs in 1-3 of an inning on July 4, starting a stretch of 38 appearances in which his ERA was 6.50.

“Last year at this time I was having to crank it up,” Timlin said. “I was going a little bit less than 100 percent but more than I normally would at this point. It was the competition factor. This year it’s just spring training.”

Timlin spent his first seven seasons with Toronto, then played with Seattle, Baltimore, St. Louis and Philadelphia before signing as a free agent with Boston in December 2002. He had 31 saves with Toronto in 1996 and 27 with Baltimore in 1999.

He has been most valuable as a setup man through his 961 games, but Francona wouldn’t hesitate to make him the closer.

“We need to set up our whole bullpen,” Francona said. “If we get a guy that’s pitching the ninth (inning) but we can’t get to the ninth (with a lead) we’re going to lose games.”

Notes: The Red Sox made six roster moves Friday. They sent right-handers Edgar Martinez and David Pauley to Triple-A Pawtucket and first baseman Luis Jimenez, third baseman Chad Spann and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, all non-roster players, to their minor-league camp. Right-hander Adam Bernero reported to the minor-league camp to begin rehabilitation after having surgery to reconstruct the ligament in his right elbow.