Red Sox activate first baseman Mike Napoli from 15-day disabled list

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today activated first baseman Mike Napoli from the 15-day disabled list. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, outfielder/first baseman Alex Hassan was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket following last night's game. Napoli will be active for tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, which begins at 8:07 p.m.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

Napoli, 32, was placed on the disabled list on May 25 (retroactive to May 24) with a sprained left fourth finger, which was originally dislocated during a headfirst slide on April 15 at the Chicago White Sox. The right-handed batter has reached base safely in 39 of his 42 games with a plate appearance this season, hitting .260 (40-for-154) with nine doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBI. He leads the team with a .390 on-base percentage, and he is tied for ninth in the AL with 31 walks. His rate of 4.6 pitches seen per plate appearances is also a team best this year. Defensively, he has committed just two errors in 347 total chances at first base for a .994 fielding percentage. Since the start of 2013, his first season with the Red Sox, Napoli ranks seventh among AL players in fewest at-bats per RBI (5.7) and is 13^th in the AL in OPS (.834).

Hassan, 26, returns to Pawtucket after his first career major league stint. Recalled by the Red Sox on May 30, he appeared in two games for Boston, both starts in right field, going 1-for-7 with a walk and a run scored. He made his big league debut on June 1 and singled of Tampa Bay's Erik Bedard in the fourth inning for his first career hit. In 45 games with Pawtucket this season, he has batted .217 (33-for-152) with 10 doubles, one home run, 19 RBI, 22 walks, and 22 runs scored. Defensively, he has combined for a .984 fielding percentage (2 errors/127 total chances) while appearing in right field (25 games), left field (11 games), and first base (7 games). Born in Quincy, MA, he grew up in Milton, MA and was a four-year letter winner at Boston College High School before being signed by the Red Sox as a 20^th-round selection in the 2009 June Draft.