Red Sox activate second baseman Dustin Pedroia from 15-day disabled list
Option right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes to Triple-A Pawtucket
BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today activated second baseman Dustin Pedroia from the 15-day disabled list. He fills the 25-man roster spot of right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes, who was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket following Sunday's game. Pedroia will be active for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium beginning at 7:05 p.m.
Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.
Pedroia, 31, was placed on the disabled list on June 25 with a right hamstring strain. The right-handed batter leads Red Sox qualifiers and ranks eighth in the American League with a .306 batting average (86-for-281), and he also ranks among AL leaders in home batting average (3rd, .361), day batting average (2nd, .398), and batting average against right-handed pitchers (7th, .312). In 69 games this season, he has 14 doubles, nine home runs, 33 RBI, and 34 runs scored. His .329 average (69-for-210) in 52 games since April 26 ranks fourth best in the AL. Pedroia is a career .300 hitter (1,457-for-4,861) with 334 doubles, 13 triples, 115 home runs, and 579 RBI in 1,220 games, all with the Red Sox since 2006.
Over three stints with the Red Sox this season, the 25-year-old Barnes is 3-2 with a 5.64 ERA (14 ER/22.1 IP) and 22 strikeouts in 21 appearances, all in relief. He last appeared for Boston on Friday, July 10 against the New York Yankees. Barnes, a right-hander, returns to Pawtucket where he is 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA (9 ER/19.1 IP) and 26 strikeouts in 10 games (three starts). He threw a scoreless inning of relief with two walks and three strikeouts for the PawSox last night at Durham. For his major league career, Barnes, is 3-2 with a 5.17 ERA (18 ER/31.1 IP) and 30 strikeouts in 26 career games. Signed by the Red Sox as a first-round selection in the 2011 June Draft, the Connecticut native is 22-24 with a 3.67 ERA (155 ER) and 404 strikeouts in 380.0 innings pitched over 83 career minor league outings (75 starts) from 2012-15.