BOSTON — The Red Sox placed third baseman Will Middlebrooks on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.
Middlebrooks fractured his right index finger upon being struck by a line drive in the first inning of Friday’s 1-0 loss. The 25-year-old’s finger is expected to remain in a splint for 5-7 days, at which point he’ll be reevaluated.
“Depending on how he responds to treatment after that, that’s when we’ll first look to initiate any baseball activity,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Saturday’s game. “It’s hard to say at this point how long he’ll be down.”
Infielder Brock Holt has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Middlebrooks’ place on the Red Sox’s active roster. The Red Sox opted for Holt over promising third base prospect Garin Cecchini because the organization feels Cecchini still needs more time to develop defensively.
This marks Middlebrooks’ second trip to the disabled list this season, as he also missed time last month because of a calf injury. Holt played well in Middlebrooks’ absence during his previous call-up — hitting .348 (8-for-23) in seven games — so perhaps he again can provide a spark. Holt is hitting .315 with a .380 on-base percentage in 27 games with Pawtucket this season.
Middlebrooks is hitting .197 with two homers, nine RBIs and a .305 on-base percentage in 21 games in 2014.
