Red Sox Roster Moves: Gomez & Germano Called Up, Jenks Released, Dice-K to DL
With a crucial four-game series coming up with the Yankees, the Red Sox don’t need to limp home before facing the division leaders. But that appears to be the case with Daisuke Matsuzaka heading for the DL with neck stiffness. Will Middlebrooks is battling a hamstring injury but no news has come out yet as to whether he will make his first professional trip to the DL.
While we wait for confirmation on Middlebrooks, it has been reported by Nick Cafardo via Twitter that Mauro Gomez has been recalled from triple-A Pawtucket. Gomez, who primarily plays first base, has a slash line of .311/.366/.614/.980 with 19 home runs and 55 RBI on the year.
The move to recall Gomez is in lieu of the Dice-K injury and not Middlebrooks. The call up also adds a third bench player to the big club and reinforces the defensive options should the Sox endure yet another injury to their infield with Middlebrooks currently unavailable.
Pete Abraham also tweeted that the club has also called up RHP Justin Germano and will join the team today in Oakland. With Dice-K out of action and a doubleheader against the Yankees set for Saturday, it’s expected that Germano will start one of the two games.
In Pawtucket this season Germano has made 16 starts compiling a record of 9-4 with an impressive 2.40 ERA. Germano recently had an opt out clause that expired on July 1 and had 48-hours to decide if he should stay with the Sox organization or look elsewhere. The callup comes within that window and essentially Germano remains Boston property.
With the Germano callup, it would be surprising if Middlebrooks did not head to the DL, meaning another player would have to be optioned to triple-A. Pete Abraham notes that one other option to make room for Germano would be to option Clayton Mortenson. Stay tuned.
In other news surrounding the Red Sox, the club announced they have reached a settlement with reliever Bobby Jenks and have outright released him. Jenks signed a two-year deal in the 2010 offseason and has pitched in a total of 15.2 innings for the Red Sox. Multiple injuries including a life threatening scare have forced the right hander to undergo numerous surgeries and is not sure what his next move in baseball will be. Jenks had signed a two-year deal worth $12 million.