Brayan Villarreal has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket, the Boston Red Sox announced Monday.
Villarreal, who joined the Red Sox as part of the trade that brought Jake Peavy to Boston, had been designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Grady Sizemore. The right-hander has been invited to major league spring training.
Villarreal only made one appearance with the Red Sox after coming over from the Detroit Tigers last July. He threw four pitches and walked in the winning run in the Red Sox’ Aug. 20 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The 26-year-old appeared in five games with Triple-A Pawtucket last season, allowing one earned run in 5 1/3 innings.
Villarreal, who posted a 2.63 ERA in 50 appearances with the Tigers in 2012, has struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings in 74 career major league appearances. The righty frequently has struggled with his control, though.
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