Michael Bowden, Ramon A. Ramirez Among Four Players Sent to Minors

Red Sox right-handed pitchers Michael Bowden and Ramon A. Ramirez and first baseman Aaron Bates have been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, general manager Theo Epstein announced on Tuesday. Another right-hander, Jorge Sosa, has been reassigned to minor league camp.

After Tuesday’s transactions, the Red Sox now have 40 players at major league camp in Fort Myers, Fla.

Bowden and Bates both spent time in Boston during the 2009 season, though neither left particularly lasting impressions. Bowden, 23, went 1-1 with a 9.56 ERA in eight appearances last year, while Bates, 26, hit .364 (4-for-11) in five games with the parent club.

Ramirez, 27, made 11 appearances for the Cincinnati Reds in 2009, going 0-0 with a 3.65 ERA, but he was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays after the season. After the Rays placed him on waivers, he was claimed by the Red Sox on Dec. 9.

Sosa, 32, a veteran reliever, has experienced success in the past, going 13-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 2005 with the Atlanta Braves, but he has struggled in recent years. In 2008, he was suspended for the use of amphetamines, and last season, he went 2-1 with a 6.45 ERA for the Washington Nationals before he was designated for assignment on Sept. 8. Boston signed Sosa to a minor league deal in January.