In the wake of Will Middlebrooks’ calf injury the Red Sox have signed Ryan Roberts to help fill in at third base, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Roberts was released by the Cubs at the end of spring training and hasn’t topped a .700 OPS since 2011 with the Diamondbacks, hitting .247 with five homers in limited action for the Rays last season at age 32.
He does offer plenty of positional versatility defensively and figures to see most of his action against left-handed pitching, off whom he’s hit .266 with 21 homers and a .785 OPS in 601 career plate appearances.
(Roberts also significantly increases the Red Sox’s average tattoo count, which is always a huge factor in any pennant race.)
