It is the busiest transaction day of the year for the Red Sox, who made six roster moves with more to come in the coming days. Here’s a look at the moves that were made and the moves that likely will be made, with a brief explanation for each:

SHANE VICTORINO PLACED ON 15-DAY DL (LEFT HAMSTRING STRAIN), RETROACTIVE TO MAY 21

Victorino had been unable to play for the last three games. The Red Sox roster is currently running thin, given that the bullpen was nearly emptied in Thursday’s 12-3 blowout loss to the Indians and that Victorino and Will Middlebrooks both faced injuries. While the Sox had planned to wait until closer to the one-week mark of Victorino’s stretch of being unable to play before making a decision on him, the need to summon reinforcements from the minors somewhat forced the Sox’ hands. So, too, did the fitful progress he’d made since suffering the injury. It hadn’t been a straight-line improvement, but instead an up-and-down trajectory. Given that, the Sox, according to manager John Farrell, felt that Victorino was “in need of this extended time and treatment.”

Victorino is hitting .283/.343/.362 while playing dazzling right field defense in 34 games this year. He’s missed 14 games due to back injuries and the hamstring. This is his first stint on the DL this year.

WILL MIDDLEBROOKS PLACED ON 15-DAY DL (LOWER BACK STRAIN) Read the rest of this entry »

Alfredo Aceves

The Red Sox executed a flurry of roster moves Friday, calling up both pitcher Alfredo Aceves and infielder Jose Iglesias while putting outfielder Shane Victorino (hamstring) and third baseman Will Middlebrooks (back) on the 15-day disabled list. The Sox also activated catcher David Ross from the seven-day concussion DL, optioning Ryan Lavarnway to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Victorino’s DL stint is retroactive to May 21.

Iglesias, who just started playing third base last week, is hitting .202 with a .262 on-base percentage in 33 games for Pawtucket. He is just 5-for-35 (.143) in his last 10 games. Aceves last pitched May 17, allowing three runs (one earned) over five innings. In four appearances for the PawSox, the righty has 3.13 ERA in 23 innings, striking out 21 and walking 11.

Iglesias gets the start at third base against the Indians Friday night, going up against Indians’ starter Justin Masterson. The third baseman will hit ninth.

Here is the rest of the Red Sox’ lineup:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Daniel Nava RF

Dustin Pedroia 2B

David Ortiz DH

Mike Napoli 1B

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C

Mike Carp LF

Stephen Drew SS

Jose Iglesias 3B

For all the matchups. click here.

PAWTUCKET — Shane Victorino missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury on Thursday, and while the outfielder’s condition is improving and the soreness is subsiding, a DL stint isn’t completely out of the question at this point. If Victorino were to be sidelined for more than a few days, Jackie Bradley Jr. would be the most obvious candidate to be recalled to reinforce the roster, right?

Well, not so fast.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is working to get back on the field on an everyday basis. (AP)

Bradley missed a couple weeks of action with tendinitis in his biceps, but has been swinging a hot bat since returning from the disabled list. The 23-year-old is 6-for-16 (.375) in his first four games since coming off the DL with a double, a triple, and his first Triple-A home run.

But he’s not ready to return to game action on an everyday basis, and a protocol has been designed to ensure that Bradley’s arm is allowed to heal properly. After playing three times in four days, splitting time between the outfield and designated hitter, Bradley took some time off before getting back on the field, sitting out of Tuesday’s game and taking advantage of Pawtucket’s off-day on Wednesday before returning to the lineup with a 2-for-5 performance as the center fielder on Thursday. He’ll also play on Friday, after which PawSox manage Gary DiSarcina said he will be re-evaluated to determine a new protocol going forward.

With there possibly being a need for an outfielder at the major league level, sticking to a laid–out game plan could, understandably, make a player impatient. But Bradley knows that following the protocol is necessary.

“They want the best for me, you kind of do what you’ve got to do to get fully healthy,” says Bradley. “You’re never really going to play at 100 percent during the whole season but you got to make sure you can give 100 percent that day. Them resting me, it’s just a protective measure to make sure I’m all healed up.”

DiSarcina understands the need to get Bradley fully healthy, but is confident that he’d be ready to go if the Red Sox needed him. Read the rest of this entry »

Shane Victorino

CHICAGO – After the Red Sox’ 6-4 loss Monday night, Shane Victorino was trying to come to grips with both a tight left hamstring and the frustration that comes with it.

Victorino surmised the hamstring injury that forced him from the game in the sixth inning wouldn’t be anything too serious. But the notion that it might not be a long-term issue did nothing to temper the uneasiness of dealing with yet another injury.

“It seems like if isn’t one thing, it’s another right now,” said Victorino, who had just returned from a sore back Sunday after missing two games. “They all say it’s all connected. That’s what’s frustrating for me. What is it? I just want to get back to being healthy and being out there and being a healthy player and feeling good. I don’t think this is anything serious, nor do the trainers. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

Victorino said he has had no issues with his left hamstring, although he did go on the disabled list in 2011 with a right hamstring problem. He said the two aren’t comparable.

The right fielder didn’t feel any discomfort in the hamstring this time until running out an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. He had reached base by legging out an infield single.

“Going first to third on Pedroia’s deep fly ball, I just felt like my leg was, I felt something grab,” he said. “I tried to keep running, and it felt like my leg didn’t have the strength that it needed to have. I was trying to pull my leg up, and I felt a little something grab. I was a little worried, but after talking with the trainers and having them look at it, it’s to be determined right now. Obviously you can tell the frustration. I just want answers. I don’t know if it’s all connected. Again, just another bump in the road.”

Victorino actually took his place in right field for the home half of the sixth before Red Sox manager John Farrell and trainer Rick Jameyson jogged out to the position to remove the outfielder, moving Daniel Nava over to right field while putting Jonny Gomes in left.

“Given what he’s been dealing with, low back,” Farrell said, “I wasn’t going to take any chances in that situation.”

Said Victorino: “If I had to guess right now, I don’t really think this will be a really serious matter. But I don’t want to make it worse and miss a lot of time for no reason.”

Jacoby Ellsbury

Red Sox manager John Farrell had planned to give Jacoby Ellsbury his first day off of the season Saturday night, but Shane Victorino’s back still wasn’t quite healthy enough to allow for the outfielder’s return to the lineup. Victorino would have hit leadoff and played centerfield.

Farrell did say prior to the Red Sox’ game against the Twins Saturday night at Target Field that there is some hope that Victorino is ready to return for the teams’ series finale.

“He was hopeful for today last night,” said Farrell of Victorino, who left Thursday night’s game in the ninth inning after colliding with the Tropicana Field fence. “He’s a hard guy to keep out of the lineup because he wants to get in every day and he’ll probably push it or risk it a little bit more than maybe we’re comfortable with. I think the additional day will be good.

Ellsbury is hitting .247 with a .312 on-base percentage, having stolen 13 bases in 15 attempts. Heading into Saturday night’s game, the center fielder was 2-for-15 with three walks on the current road trip. Both Twins starters for the series’ final two games — Scott Diamond and Pedro Hernandez — are left-handers.

“Still some inconstancies with the timing,” said Farrell regarding Ellsbury. ” There’s time where he’ll show good patience, he’ll work deep in the count, and the next at-bat may be a little bit over aggressive trying to make something happen. And it comes down to timing. We see him where he’s squaring up some balls, he gets on base and he’ll create some havoc. But the consistency to which he’s made himself known for is a little elusive right now. He’s a key part for us. We need him to, and we may need to work with him, to get him going everyday. But his consistency has a huge effect and a  huge impact on who we are offensively.”

In other injury news, Stephen Drew experienced some pain in his back while running through some hitting, fielding and throwing drills earlier Saturday afternoon, leading to the shortstop’s exclusion from the lineup. Drew, who tweaked his back while beating out a double in the eighth inning of Friday night’s game, had been slated to hit seventh against Diamond.

Shane Victorino

MINNEAPOLIS – Shane Victorino was back out the lineup due to a back issue Friday night, but he said the absence is nowhere near as necessary as when he missed seven games a few weeks back.

“We’re going to be smart about it,” said Victorino, who left Thursday night’s game in the ninth inning after colliding with the right field wall at Tropicana field, causing his ailing back to stiffen up.

“Last time I missed a week. That’s not the goal to do the same thing this time. But again, I’m not evaluating it like it was the last time. It’s nowhere near that. I just don’t want it to get to that point because these are the symptoms I felt the last time. I can’t go out there and make it a week. Hopefully we can calm it down, ASAP. Like I said, hopefully I’ve got three hours to calm it down, and if I’m needed to play tonight, that’s the goal.”

While Victorino was volunteering for duty – having gone 3-for-3 with a homer the last the time Sox faced Minnesota starter Vance Worley – Red Sox manager John Farrell hoped that the outfielder wouldn’t be needed this time around.

“We’ll do everything we can to kind of stay away, just to give him a full day off his feet,” Farrell said.

Starting in right field in place of Victorino for the series opener was Daniel Nava, who also took over the lineup’s No. 2 spot.

In 32 games, Victorino is hitting .383 with a .708 OPS and 19 runs. His .360 batting average with runners in scoring position leads the Sox, and is 13th in the American League.

“It’s a little stiff today, but I’m hoping it’s not anything like it was the first time,” Victorino said. “We’ve got to go day-to-day and see how it feels. It feels a lot better today, obviously, but it’s still frustrating to be circling back to this situation. I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to be back where I was a few weeks ago. That was no fun. But again, you know, we’re still far from all that to get that point. So, just hoping today is the day and we’ll get out there tomorrow.”

ROSS STILL FEELING IT

David Ross, who was slated to possibly join the team in Minnesota, is still feeling the effects of his concussion, pushing the testing scheduled to gauge any symptoms back to Monday.

Ross most likely won’t be joining the Sox on their current road trip.

“Everything pointed to him being re-examined there and him joining us here in Minnesota but much like we’ve seen with many other concussions, these things take on a life of their own,” Farrell said. “He’s still experiencing some light-headedness and fatigue, so we’ve just got to give it time.”

Ross is currently on the seven-day concussion disabled list after taking two foul balls off his mask last Saturday.

HANRAHAN TO STAY IN DALLAS

Farrell noted that Joel Hanrahan – who had surgery on both his flexor tendon and elbow ligament – will conduct the first portion of his rehab in the Dallas area. The reliever will be in a cast for 10 days before he can begin the process.

Boston native Alex Cobb, scheduled to pitch for the Rays in Thursday's series finale against the Red Sox, struck out 13 Padres in just 4 2/3 innings in his last start. (AP)

The Red Sox head to St. Petersburg, Fla., to take on the Rays, looking to get back track after a 2-5 homestand. It’s been a rough stretch for the Sox, dropping eight of their last 10 games and falling out of first place. They go into the series with their divisional rivals in third place with a 22-16 record, two games behind the Yankees.

They’ll face off against a fourth-place Rays team that just pulled above .500 again for the first time since the first week of the season, winning their 19th game of the year on Sunday. Their season has been disappointing so far, but it seems that the Rays are starting to get hot. They’re coming off a three-game sweep of the Padres and have won their last five contests.

For the past few years, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has been among the best in the league. But it’s been the offense that has carried the Rays as of late. The lineup has scored 90 runs in just the last 14 games, while the pitching staff has been inconsistent. But manager Joe Maddon indicated he thinks that everything is starting to come together for the Rays. “The pitching is starting to look like it’s supposed to, and while all that’s happening, let’s maintain this offensive production and see where it takes us,” Maddon said after the Rays’ 4-2 win over the Padres on Sunday.

Here are the matchups for the three-game set.

Tuesday: John Lackey (1-3, 2.82) vs. Matt Moore (6-0, 2.14)
Wednesday: Jon Lester (5-0, 2.73) vs. David Price (1-3, 4.78)
Thursday: Clay Buchholz (6-0, 1.69) vs. Alex Cobb (4-2, 3.09)

WHO’S HOT: RED SOX

• Jarrod Saltalamacchia was one of the few Red Sox hitters to have a good homestand against the Twins and Blue Jays. Over the seven games, Saltalamacchia went 8-for-18 with a home run and four doubles, boosting his average to .263 with an .895 OPS. The catcher is second on the team with nine doubles, behind only Mike Napoli.

• Daniel Nava continues to be one of the most consistent hitters on the club, hitting .288/.391/.500 on the season with five home runs, seven doubles, 16 walks and 24 RBIs. The outfielder batted .308  on the seven-game homestand in four starts. Nava has been impressive both with the bat and in the field, splitting time between left and right field without making an error in 210 innings.

• Outfielder Shane Victorino’s most memorable moment of the series might have come in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game when he ran full speed into the right field wall in a failed attempt to catch a home run off the bat of Emilio Bonifacio. But Victorino blasted his first two home runs during the homestand and batted .393 over the seven games. Victorino owns the third-highest batting average and OBP on the team, and has put up a .308/.370/.393 line through 29 games.

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