Red Sox place third baseman Will Middlebrooks on 15-day disabled list; recall third baseman Danny Valencia

BOSTON, MA -- The Boston Red Sox today placed third baseman Will Middlebrooks on the 15-day disabled list with a right wrist fracture and recalled third baseman Danny Valencia from Triple-A Pawtucket.  Valencia will be active for tonight’s game against the Indians in Cleveland, wearing No. 23.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.  

Middlebrooks, 23, has hit .288 (77-for-267) with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 34 runs and 13 walks in 75 games with the Red Sox this year since making his Major League debut on May 2.  He ranks second among AL rookies in homers, third in average, slugging (.509), extra-base hits (29) and RBI, fourth in on-base percentage (.325), hits, doubles and total bases (136), and fifth in runs.  Selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Middlebrooks began the 2012 season with Triple-A Pawtucket and hit .333 (31-for-93) with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 24 games with the PawSox.

Valencia, 27, was acquired by the Red Sox from the Twins on August 5 and was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.  He has gone 3-for-7 (.429) with two doubles, two RBI, two walks and a run in his two games for the PawSox, both at third base.  The right-handed hitter owns a .260 average (257-for-989) with 52 doubles, four triples, 24 home runs, 129 RBI, 106 runs and 63 walks in 273 career Major League games with the Twins over the last three seasons with all 262 games in the field coming at third base.  He was 25-for-126 (.198) with six doubles, one triple, two homers, 17 RBI and 13 runs in 34 games for Minnesota in 2012 and hit safely in four of his last five Major League contests from July 30-August 3 at a .278 clip (5-for-18) with five RBI.  Originally selected by the Twins in the 19th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Valencia also played in 69 games for Minnesota’s Triple-A club in Rochester this season.