BALTIMORE -- Boston Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained right hamstring, and pitcher Matt Barnes was recalled from Pawtucket and is eligible to pitch in Saturday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The right hamstring strain is the same injury that sent Victorino to the disabled list twice last season before he had season-ending back surgery in August. Manager John Farrell acknowledged that Victorino was making progress in his recovery -- indeed, even as the manager was announcing the roster move in the dugout, Victorino executed a couple of short sprints several feet away while trainers watched.
But the Sox bullpen, which has carried a heavy workload in the season's early weeks, could use a fresh arm, and Barnes, who was given a lengthy trial in camp as a reliever, was added Saturday.
"I wouldn't say he stalled, he's actually improving," Farrell said of Victorino. "He worked out today early this morning, ran in the pool. But we felt like with the number of innings our bullpen is pitching, that is the overriding thing at this point.''
Allen Craig was in right field in Victorino's place against Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Other outfield options include Daniel Nava and Brock Holt, both left-handed hitters. Rusney Castillo remains on the Pawtucket DL with a strained right shoulder, though he has resumed throwing and is taking batting practice.
Victorino was batting .143 (5-for-35) in a dozen games.
Barnes, the former No. 1 draft pick (19th overall in 2011) out of the University of Connecticut, last pitched last Sunday for Pawtucket. He has made two starts, giving up a total of 5 earned runs in 8 innings, striking out 6. He will be wearing No. 68.