Red Sox place outfielder Shane Victorino on disable list

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today placed outfielder Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain. To fill his spot on the 25-man roster, infielder Jeff Bianchi was selected to the active major league roster from Triple-A Pawtucket. Bianchi will wear No. 16 and be available for this afternoon's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Fenway Park at 1:35 p.m.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

Victorino, 34, started last night's game against the Angels in right field but was removed in the third inning after experiencing tightness in his left calf. In 20 games for Boston this season, Victorino has hit .255 (14-for-55) with two doubles, one home run, three RBI, and six runs scored. He had reached base safely in each of his last seven games, which included six starts, batting .563 (9-for-16) with a .632 on-base percentage. This marks the second trip to the disabled list for Victorino, who missed time with a right hamstring strain from April 23-May 10. In 1,248 career major league games between the San Diego Padres (2003), Philadelphia Phillies (2005-2012), Los Angeles Dodgers (2012), and Red Sox (2013-15), the two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner has hit .277 with 229 doubles, 68 triples, 108 home runs, 485 RBI, and 227 stolen bases.

This marks the first major league stint of the season for Bianchi, 28, who was a non-roster invitee to Red Sox spring training in 2015. In 17 games for Pawtucket this year, he has hit .302 (16-for-53) with two doubles, four RBI, and six runs scored. Bianchi spent time on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation from April 26-May 17, but in six games since being reinstated, he has batted .476 (10-for-21) with four RBI. Defensively, Bianchi has appeared in nine games at second base, five at shortstop, three in left field, and one at first base. On April 12, he threw 3.0 innings of relief in a 16-inning game between the PawSox and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, allowing one run on three hits. For his major league career, Bianchi has appeared in 162 games, all for the Milwaukee Brewers (2012-14), batting .216 (81-for-375) with 11 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 40 RBI.

With this transaction, Boston's 40-man roster is now at 39.