The Boston Red Sox now have another option at the first base position.
On Friday afternoon, the team activated Mitch Moreland from the 10-day IL, according to a press release sent out by the team. Moreland is returning from a back strain and will now resume his normal role as the team's lefthanded bat in the first-base platoon.
So far this year, Moreland is hitting just .228, but he has a team-leading 13 homers and has continued to play good defense at first base. His presence will afford the Red Sox an opportunity to give Michael Chavis some time to rest amid a slump that he is in. Chavis is hitting a paltry .107 with a whopping 15 strikeouts in his last seven games (six starts) mostly at first base.
Moreland will be in the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. He will bat fifth against in the order against righthander Yonny Chirinos.
To make room for Moreland on the active roster, the Red Sox sent pitcher Ryan Weber down to Pawtucket. Weber had a 1-1 record with a 5.12 ERA in six appearances for the big-league club.
Weber had been used as a spot starter in recent weeks, but he only lasted 1 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, and the Red Sox had to use seven total pitchers in the victory as a result. His best outing came in his six-inning start against the Toronto Blue Jays where he allowed only one run.
Boston Red Sox
The motivation to send down a pitcher instead of reserve first baseman, Sam Travis, may have come due to J.D. Martinez's injury. Martinez is dealing with back spasms once again and will be out of the lineup on Friday. Perhaps when he's healthy and the Sox don't need as many bench players, Weber could return to the big-league club again.
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