Aceves back, this time for relief

ANAHEIM -- The last three times the Red Sox recalled Alfredo Aceves from the Minor Leagues, it was for a one-day spot start. But Sunday's occasion was different.

This time, Aceves has returned to provide depth to a bullpen that has lost Andrew Miller for at least 15 days. The Sox were also short for Sunday's game, as closer Koji Uehara and setup man Craig Breslow were both unavailable.

"I came here to help the team as a pitcher, and that's all I can do as a player," Aceves said.

Aceves has pitched in every type of relief in his career, so his services should come in handy for this final week leading into the All-Star break.

"You know, just in talking with him just now, he knows he's going to be in the bullpen for the remainder of this trip," said manager John Farrell. "He's going to be middle; he's going to be late in the game. We all know he's durable. He's resilient. We'll see how that role evolves, but it will be in that middle to late part of the game."

As for Sunday's game, Farrell said that Andrew Bailey and Junichi Tazawa were the most likely options as closer.