The Red Sox activated Will Middlebrooks off the disabled list Monday. The third baseman had been out with a strained lower-back, the team announced.
Will Middlebrooks injury: Red Sox activate third baseman
The Red Sox activated their third baseman from the DL, and he was in the lineup Monday.
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The team designated infielder Pedro Ciriaco for assignment to make room on the 25-man roster. Ciriaco was batting .216 with one home run in 51 at-bats for the Red Sox this season, but he became redundant with Middlebrooks and Jose Iglesias already on the roster.
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Iglesias, who has been a valuable contributor thus far this season, will play in three games a week according to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. They will all come on the left side of the infield because his hot hitting and slick defense have given Boston no choice but to play him.
With Middlebrooks on the disabled list, Iglesias was allowed to show off his abilities. Boston will now try and find playing time for both because they’ve been one of the best teams in baseball to this point and are focused on doing everything they can to maximize their current talent.
MIddlebrooks hit well enough in 2012 that the team felt comfortable trading third baseman Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox, but the oft-injured infielder has struggled to stay on the field since -- and is hitting a paltry .201 with eight home runs to this point in the season.
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