So much for the Boston version of Lin-Sanity. Che-Hsuan Lin was optioned to Pawtucket, the Red Sox announced this morning, ending his brief, first stint in the majors and with it the chance to create all the references that Jeremy Lin accomplished during his stellar run for the New York Knicks.
There were other moves that the Red Sox made, including recalling Jason Repko and Nate Spears from Pawtucket. Repko will get the start in center field for Sunday’s game against the Rays. Repko, 31, has six years under his belt at the major league level, splitting time between the Twins and Dodgers and his career numbers of .226/.297/.350 won’t scare any pitcher. But what he does bring is a veteran presence to an outfield that is running a little thin right now. His defensive abilities outweigh his offensive abilities, but wasn’t that why Lin was brought up, for his strong arm and ability to track down hard hit fly balls?
To make room for Repko and Spears, it was Michael Bowden and Luis Exposito who were designated for assignment, meaning both could potentially be claimed by another club, should they hit the waiver wire. Bowden, who is out of options, has been a name that was likely to be designated once other relievers started to get healthy, ie: Andrew Miller and Rich Hill. Bowden, just 25, was a supplemental first round draft pick by the Sox in 2005, the same year as Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie. The right hander never really proved he could compete at the major league level during his stint in Boston and barring no other team wants him, he may get another shot later this year. For his career, Bowden has a minor league ERA of 3.27 with 7.1K/9 and a walk ratio of 3.0BB/9.
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