Sox Grab Bag: Napoli Out Sick, Buchholz Mending, De La Rosa Up, Wilson Down

The war of attrition that defines a major league baseball season is grinding away at the Red Sox. Shane Victorino has been up and down all season, Will Middlebrooks continues to get some nights off even after his return from the DL, Jacoby Ellsbury was nicked up and is thankfully back to form and Clay Buchholz has missed his second start in as many weeks with neck and AC Joint problems (possible Tuesday start). What else could go wrong?

Jun 13, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli (12) doubles in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

After getting yanked in the third inning of Thursday’s game with lightheadedness and nausea, Mike Napoli remained out of the lineup in Boston’s second straight loss to the Orioles at Camden Yard on Friday. Apparently the virus has been ripping through the clubhouse over the past two weeks but hit Napoli especially hard.

After getting battered earlier this week during a 14-inning slugfest that left both the Sox and Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpens empty and shallow starting pitching performances, Boston made another move today to shore up the reserves.

Feb 17, 2013; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Rubby De La Rosa (62) poses during photo day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Rubby De La Rosa got the call up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Alex Wilson‘s spot. Wilson was sent back down to Pawtucket. Boston secured the services of De La Rosa as part of the blockbuster payroll dump on the Dodgers last summer. De La Rosa makes more sense at this point for the Sox since he can go multiple innings. With the starting pitching coming up short – with the exception of Ryan Dempster‘s 8 inning performance Friday night in Baltimore – De La Rosa may become especially valuable in getting Boston through a rough patch.

“[He] can give us multiple innings in the event that something unforeseen happens early in the game,” Farrell told MLB.com’s Jeff Seidel before Friday’s game. “He’s stretched out to 75, 80 [pitches]. He was the most fresh one on the roster that we could go and tap into to add to a bullpen that obviously has been taxed of late.”