BOSTON — The Red Sox’s clubhouse is becoming increasingly crowded.
The Red Sox recalled outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and left-handed pitcher Drake Britton from Triple-A Pawtucket before Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
The PawSox are in the midst of a best-of-five International League playoff series against the Syracuse Chiefs. They’ll lose two players, though, as the Red Sox decided to add Bradley and Britton for various reasons.
Bradley was optioned to Pawtucket on Aug. 18 amid a dismal season offensively. The hope was that the 24-year-old would make some necessary adjustments before returning as a September call-up. Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged Friday that Bradley still is working to make those adjustments, but Boston wanted to recall the former first-round draft pick as it looks to assess players down the stretch for 2015.
Bradley is hitting .216 with one homer, 30 RBIs, a .578 OPS and 111 strikeouts in 387 plate appearances over 112 major league games this season. The slick-fielding center fielder hit .212 (14-for-66) with a .519 OPS in 14 games for Pawtucket after being sent down last month.
Britton competed for a big league role in spring training after appearing in 18 games and posting a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings with the Red Sox in 2013. The 25-year-old southpaw ultimately was optioned to Pawtucket, where he had a 5.86 ERA in 45 appearances spanning 58 1/3 innings.
The Red Sox temporarily removed Koji Uehara from their closer’s role Friday, opening the door for Edward Mujica to save games. Britton was recalled to give the Red Sox another lefty arm as they embark on a six-game homestand.
The Red Sox’s active roster now includes 31 players.
