Mike Timlin won’t be available when the Sox’ season opens.

AP / Charles Krupa

FORT MYERS. Fla. — When the Red Sox begin the 2007 season on April 2 in Kansas City, they will do so without Mike Timlin, who had been hand-picked to start the season as the team’s closer.

Instead, Timlin will open the season on the disabled list, still sidelined by a strained left oblique muscle that has prevented him from appearing in any Grapefruit League games to date.

Timlin first suffered the injury on the final weekend of February and was believed to be close to returning to the mound two weeks ago when he suffered a setback following a bullpen session.

The 41-year-old veteran was shut down for a week, with instructions not to pick up a ball. After clearance from the medical staff, he began playing catch late last week, but as of yesterday hadn’t thrown off the mound again.

With just over a week of Grapefruit League games remaining, the Sox didn’t believe Timlin would have enough time to get the necessary work to prepare for the opener.

“We have a schedule, written down, and we’ve showed it to him,” said Terry Francona after the Red Sox’ 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins last night. “It’s not etched in stone, but it’s a schedule that’s going to probably have him available after that first road trip (of the regular season).”

Timlin will be retroactively placed on the DL just before the start of the season. Teams may backdate a player’s stint on the DL for up to six days at the end of the exhibition season. Such a timetable will mean Timlin could be activated just after the April 9 home opener.

“I don’t think he was stunned (by the decision),” said Francona, who met with Timlin late yesterday afternoon, “and I don’t think he was doing cartwheels. But he understood. There’s some common sense involved.”

The backdating will also limit Timlin’s activities in the final week of camp. For the final six days, he will not be able to pitch in major-league games and will be limited to minor-league contests.

He long-tossed from a distance of 120 feet and will do so again tomorrow. It’s possible he could throw off a mound this weekend.

“We need him to be out there in the bullpen all year,” said Francona. “I don’t think it’s a smart idea to rush him for Opening Day. We don’t want to do that.”

With Timlin unavailable for the first two series of the season, the Sox must search elsewhere for a temporary closer. Though the Sox have yet to declare their selection publicly, it’s known that Julian Tavarez is the clear favorite.

Tavarez has limited experience in the closer’s role — he did post 11 saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003 — but the Sox believe he’s their best short-term option.

Joel Pineiro was signed last winter to a $4-million deal with incentives for games finished, but the Sox are said to be concerned about throwing Pineiro into a role he’s never experienced before, especially in a market as demanding as Boston.

Tavarez is seen as a safer choice, since he’s shown the ability to overcome poor outings and put them behind him.

“He can pitch in the second or the 12th,” Francona said earlier in the day about Tavarez. “He doesn’t care. He’ll take the ball.”

Tavarez’s first season in Boston was a disappointing one. Following a 10-day suspension for his involvement in a spring training fight with Tampa Bay’s Joey Gathright, Tavarez never seemed to settle into a role and was ineffective for much of the year before partly redeeming himself with six starts in the final month of the season.

“What happened in the beginning of the season was difficult,” said Francona. “He got behind a little bit. It’s up to us to get him on a roll. We know what he can do.”

Actually, what they don’t know is whether he can close. But they’re about to find out.

smcadam@projo.com