Red Sox place outfielder Darnell McDonald on 15-day disabled list; Select first baseman Mauro Gomez to active roster

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox today placed outfielder Darnell McDonald on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to May 12) with a right oblique strain and selected first baseman Mauro Gomez to the active Major League roster from Triple-A Pawtucket.  To make room for Gomez on the 40-man roster, the club transferred outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to the 60-day disabled list. Gomez will be active for today’s game against the Indians at Fenway Park, wearing No. 50.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington. 

McDonald, 33, has appeared in 26 games for the Red Sox this season, going 10-for-56 (.179) with four doubles, two homers, eight RBI, 12 runs, eight walks and a stolen base.  He has appeared defensively at left field (15 games, 12 starts), right field (4 games, 1 start), center field (2 games) and pitched an inning of relief in Boston’s 9-6 loss to Baltimore on May 6.  In 290 career Major League games with the Orioles (2004), Twins (2007), Reds (2009) and Red Sox (2010-12), McDonald has a .246 batting average (167-for-679) with 35 doubles, five triples, 19 homers, 77 RBI, 93 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

The 27-year-old Gomez will be in his first career Major League stint.  He has played in 34 games with Pawtucket in 2012, his first season in the Red Sox organization, and ranks second in the International League with 10 homers, 11 doubles (tied), 22 extra-base hits (also one triple), 33 RBI and 83 total bases while batting .294 (40-for-136) with 22 runs scored and eight walks.  He also places among circuit leaders in hits (T-4^th) and slugging percentage (5^th, .610).  Signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent on February 2, the right-handed batter is a career .278 hitter (792-for-2,847) with 191 doubles, 12 triples, 116 homers, 471 RBI, 393 runs scored and 184 walks in nine minor league seasons in the Rangers (2004-09), Braves (2010-11) and Red Sox (2012) systems.  He led the International League with 264 total bases playing for Atlanta’s Gwinnett affiliate in 2011, earning mid-season All-Star honors for the third straight season, also including 2010 in the Double-A Eastern League and 2009 in the High-A California League.

Ellsbury, 28, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 14 with a right shoulder subluxation.  He appeared in seven games with Red Sox to begin the season before suffering the injury on April 13.  Selected by the Red Sox in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, he has compiled a .299 career average (616-for-2,058) with 108 doubles, 23 triples, 52 home runs, 238 RBI, 345 runs and 175 stolen bases in 514 Major League games with Boston over the last six seasons from 2007-12.