BOSTON -- Lefty reliever Buddy Boshers rejoined the Twins before their series opener against the Red Sox on Thursday and right-handed reliever Neil Ramírez was designated for assignment.
Boshers pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief in Thursday's 13-2 loss, giving up two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
Boshers pitched well with the Twins in his first stint with the club this season, posting a 1.38 ERA with 14 strikeouts and two walks in 13 innings before being optioned to Triple-A Rochester on July 4. Boshers tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings with Rochester after being optioned, and he was brought back up with Ramirez struggling. Ramirez, who was claimed off waivers from the Brewers on June 12, posted a 6.14 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 14 2/3 innings.
"It's good to have him back," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "The situation when we sent him back to Rochester wasn't particularly good in terms of fairness. He had been throwing the ball extremely well. It was one of those moves where other things outweighed the fact he was pitching well. But he went down there and did his job."
Boshers, who had a 1.16 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings with Rochester, credited a new changeup for his success this year. He switched to a split-changeup grip from a circle-change with the help of bullpen coach Eddie Guardado and Spring Training instructor LaTroy Hawkins. It's helped rejuvenate Boshers' career, as he was signed as a Minor League free agent after pitching in the independent Atlantic League last year and hadn't previously pitched in the Majors since 2013 with the Angels.
"I learned my stuff is good enough and plays up here," Boshers said. "Adding that changeup has been key for me, too. It's kept the right-handed hitters off-balance. It's a completely different feel for me. It's taken off and given me a lot of confidence."
Boshers, 28, gives the Twins three lefties in their bullpen, joining Fernando Abad and Taylor Rogers. Molitor likes the flexibility of having so many lefties, and he said he still envisions Boshers seeing plenty of action.
"As far as his role, I think against this club and other clubs, a third left-hander is important," Molitor said. "Obviously, he's done better against lefties, but he can get righties out with that changeup. So we'll mix and match."