It was hardly unexpected, but Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reports that the Red Sox have demoted outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to Triple-A Pawtucket. David Ortiz is expected to be activated from the disabled list tomorrow in a corresponding roster move.
Bradley won the starting left field job with a fantastic showing this spring, but it didn’t translate once the regular season began. The 23-year-old batted just .097 (3-for-31) with one double, three RBI and a 12/6 K/BB ratio in 12 games. He hasn’t had a hit since April 5 and has barely seen the field in recent days, so he’s better off getting regular at-bats in the minor leagues.
Now that Ortiz is back in the fold, Jonny Gomes and Daniel Nava figure to split playing time in left field. Bradley still has a very promising future and could resurface at the big league level later this summer.
