BOSTON -- Brock Holt made his triumphant return to the Red Sox on Sunday, and the fans let him know that they missed him.
The Red Sox activated Holt from the 60-day disabled list to be the club's 26th man in Sunday's doubleheader with the Yankees. Boston lost the first game, 3-0.
The infielder was called upon in the first game of the day to pinch-hit for Deven Marrero, and was greeted to a loud ovation from the Fenway faithful as he approached the batter's box.
"That was pretty cool," Holt said. "Something I wasn't expecting, but it made me feel good, any time you can go up there and have people cheer for you, it's a good feeling. Unexpected, but a good feeling."
Maybe even louder was the roar of the crowd after Holt hit an infield single to officially mark his return.
"How about that one?" said Holt. "That was a little bleeder, but found the hole, fortunately. But, yeah, it was good to get a hit in my first at-bat back."
Holt had been off the Red Sox's active roster since April 21 while battling symptoms related to vertigo.
"If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be here," Holt said before the doubleheader. "It's a long journey, but I'm happy to be back. … It was hard. It was a long road and frustrating. I've felt better over the past couple of weeks."
The utility infielder will start at third base in the nightcap.
While on injury rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket, Holt hit .214 with three home runs in 20 games.
Holt's insertion into the Red Sox's starting lineup is in part due to Boston's position players coming off of a 16-inning loss to the Yankees on Saturday.
"We have a number of guys with six hours on their feet, and they're not going to go another 8 hours again today," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
Even though Holt was the 26th man on Sunday, Farrell says the infielder has a good shot to stay with the team into next week due to a demanding weekend for the bullpen that could lead to multiple pitching roster moves.
"When you go through a stretch like yesterday or another situation where your bullpen is taxed, Brock is the ideal guy to add an extra pitcher for a period of time, because he can play so many positions," Farrell said. "We may be facing that situation in the coming days with the number of innings that we've pitched."
Worth noting
• Reliever Blaine Boyer was placed on the 10-day disabled list after leaving Saturday's game with a right elbow strain. Right-handed pitcher Austin Maddox was recalled from Pawtucket to fill Boyer's spot.
• After being called on to pitch 2 2/3 innings of relief on Saturday, Doug Fister will likely be scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday. Farrell says that lefty Christopher Johnson and right-hander Hector Velazquez are candidates to start.