CLEVELAND -- The Red Sox will be without Jackie Bradley Jr. for the rest of August, and at least some of September, as the center fielder was placed on the 10-day disabled list before Wednesday's game against the Indians with a sprained left thumb.
Bradley suffered the injury making an awkward slide in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 9-1 victory over the Indians. To fill his spot on the 25-man roster, the club recalled infielder Deven Marrero from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Andrew Benintendi moved from left to center in Bradley's absence on Wednesday and Brock Holt started in left. Veteran center fielder Rajai Davis was acquired from the Athletics just hours after Bradley was placed on the DL, and he figures to play quite a bit. The Red Sox also have veteran right-handed hitter Chris Young available to play the outfield.
X-rays taken at the ballpark after the game were negative, and the results of a Wednesday MRI back in Boston also produced encouraging news.
"He has a sprain in the ligament of the left thumb. The encouraging thing is through the X-ray and MRI imaging, there are no tears, no fractures," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He is immobilized currently in a splint and that will probably be [for] the next five to seven days, and hopefully at that point, we're able to get some range of motion and strengthening back in there. It's unfortunate that he ends up in an awkward position to slide [Tuesday] night and rolled over on the thumb."

The Red Sox don't have a timetable on Bradley's return, but he will certainly be back this season.
"You're always hopeful at the time of the injury that you're going to avoid the DL," said Farrell. "Unfortunately in this case we're not going to. You have to do what's right and what Jackie's needs are and that is to remain idle for the week ahead."
Bradley remained back in Boston after the MRI, and the Red Sox will meet up with him again when they return home for a series against the Orioles on Friday. After Tuesday's game, Bradley explained how the injury took place.
"As I was coming around third, a few steps before home plate I wanted to slide headfirst because I could control it," Bradley said. "I wasn't going to slide anywhere near him, I was going to slide headfirst and just have my hand just kind of reach around, but as I was approaching, I kind of could see him gather it.
"He started coming to kind of block off the plate, so I kind of had to redirect my slide. I actually slid feet first, but I also slid to the outside part of the plate. [I] tried to avoid the tag and then slapped my hand at the back of the plate. And as I slapped the back of the plate, his glove kind of got me in the forearm and my thumb got caught with the ground and kind of bent in all directions, I guess."

The injury comes at an unfortunate time, as Bradley has recently started to heat up again at the plate. In Tuesday's win, he went 2-for-3 with a solo homer.
"It's one of those things where it's out of my control," Bradley said. "All I can do is just try to play the game hard and do the best I can."
Bradley is slashing .262/.343/.432 with 14 homers and 54 RBIs.