The Boston Red Sox today returned left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez from his injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket and activated him from the 10-day disabled list. To make room on the 25-man roster, infielder Tzu-Wei Lin and right-handed pitcher Austin Maddox were optioned to Pawtucket following last night's game against the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox' 25-man roster is now at 25, after the club was permitted to add a 26th man for yesterday's doubleheader against the Yankees per Major League Baseball Rules.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Rodriguez, who will start tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays beginning at 7:10 p.m. at Fenway Park, was placed on the 10-day disabled list on June 2 with a right knee subluxation. He made one rehab start with Double-A Portland and two with Pawtucket, most recently allowing only one run with seven strikeouts and zero walks in 6.1 innings for the PawSox on July 9 against Buffalo. The 24-year-old left-hander has made 10 starts for Boston this season, going 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA (24 ER/61.0 IP) while striking out 65 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .222 batting average (49-for-221). He compiled a career-long four-game winning streak over seven starts from April 23-May 26, recording a 2.25 ERA (11 ER/44.0 IP) and a .204 opponent batting average in that time.
Lin, 23, has hit .280 (14-for-50) with two triples and a .379 on-base percentage in 19 major league games this season, making six starts apiece at third base and shortstop and two at second base. A native of Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, the left-handed hitter had never played above the Double-A level prior to being selected to the major league roster on June 24. He has batted .302 (48-for-159) with an .870 OPS in 48 games for Portland this season, totaling nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, and eight stolen bases in 10 attempts. Signed by Boston as an international free agent on June 16, 2012, he became only the second Taiwan-born player to appear on a major league roster for the Red Sox, joining outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin, who played in nine games for Boston in 2012.
Maddox, 26, pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the Yankees, allowing three hits with one strikeout. In three appearances over two major league stints-the first of his career-this season, the right-hander has not allowed a run or walked a batter in 3.2 innings, striking out two hitters and surrendering four hits. He is 2-2 with five saves and a 2.36 ERA (9 ER/34.1 IP) over 25 games between Portland and Pawtucket this season, having allowed only one run on two hits in his last six minor league outings (5.2 innings). Over six professional seasons since being selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2012 June Draft, Maddox is 13-17 with 22 saves, a 4.27 ERA (117 ER/246.1 IP), and 209 strikeouts over 131 minor league games, including 13 starts.