Boston has activated Koji Uehara from the disabled list after the closer missed the first week of the season with a hamstring injury suffered during spring training.
To make room for Uehara on the roster and in the bullpen Boston sent down left-hander Tommy Layne, who took his lumps as part of Sunday night’s blowout loss to the Yankees.
Uehara, who remained with the Red Sox this offseason on a two-year, $18 million deal, is expected to reclaim ninth-inning duties, pushing Edward Mujica back into a setup role.