Following a rough end to their opening series, the Toronto Blue Jays are ready to begin play at home.

Whether Josh Donaldson is healthy enough to be in their lineup remains to be seen.

The reigning AL MVP hopes to be available Friday night when the Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox.

Donaldson went 4 for 16 with two homers and four RBIs as Toronto (2-2) split its series at Tampa Bay, but left Wednesday's 5-3 loss with a strained right calf muscle. Though Donaldson didn't work out Thursday, the Blue Jays are optimistic he'll be ready for the home opener.

"To be honest, I think he'll be out there (Friday) night," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website. "If it's worth giving him a day or two, if he needs that, it would be smart to do that, but I don't think that's going to happen."

Donaldson, who hit .333 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 19 games against Boston (1-1) in 2015, dealt with the same injury last season and again during spring training.

"He played through it, that's part of it," Gibbons said.

Nine of Toronto's 15 runs at Tampa came off five homers, but its bullpen blew late leads while yielding five runs to lose the last two contests.

The Blue Jays hope their fortunes will be better at Rogers Centre, where they went 53-28 to tie for the AL's best home record but were 4-6 against Boston. Including three postseason starts in 2015, Marcus Stroman is 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 16 at home.

The right-hander pitched into the ninth and was charged with three runs in Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Rays.

''I want to finish games," said Stroman, who has one complete game in 28 starts. "That's the mentality. That's the motto. It didn't work out, but I look forward to getting out there the next time and going nine.''

He's lasted at least seven innings in each while posting a 1.26 ERA to win all four starts - three at home - against the Red Sox.

"When Stro takes the mound, it's different," said teammate Troy Tulowitzki, who is 2 for 13 with a homer and seven strikeouts. "He raises the bar that (he) wants you to match his energy and just the swag that he has."

Though last-place Boston finished 15 games behind the AL East champion Toronto in 2015, these two are the predicted frontrunners for this season's division title. The Blue Jays won't face former teammate and new Boston ace David Price, who went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 regular-season starts for them after coming over from Detroit in July.

After splitting a weather-shortened two-game set at Cleveland, the Red Sox begin a stretch of 13 straight against division opponents - seven opposite Toronto.

"We're looking forward to this run," manager John Farrell said. "We're looking forward to the challenge."

David Ortiz hit two of Boston's five homers against the Indians, but only that many while batting .162 in nine games at Toronto last season. He's 2 for 11 without a home run when facing Stroman.

Teammate Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 7 against Stroman. He's hit safely in 14 straight games against the Blue Jays, and is batting .330 with 16 RBIs in his last 21 meetings.

Scheduled starter Joe Kelly went 2-6 with a 5.94 ERA in his first 16 starts for Boston last season but 8-0 with a 3.00 ERA in the last nine. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in five starts against Toronto.

Donaldson is 8 for 14 against Kelly.