March 16, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Red Sox option Middlebrooks, cut seven others from MLB camp
The Red Sox announced their first roster moves of spring training. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks and outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket; infielder Oscar Tejeda and left-handed pitcher Drake Britton were optioned to Double-A Portland; and right-handed pitchers Alex Wilson, Chorye Spoone, and Tony Pena, Jr., and outfielder Juan Carlos Linares were reassigned to minor league camp.
Middlebrooks, the #1 prospect on SoxProspects.com, went 6 for 19 in spring training play. He will be Pawtucket's starting third baseman to begin 2012. Lin will also start for Pawtucket after impressing Bobby Valentine others in the organization with his defense. Tejeda returns to Portland hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2011 season. He appeared in all eleven spring training games before his demotion, going 2 for 12. Britton will be making his first appearance in Double-A. He did not appear in a game while in major league camp, but did spend his time learning from fellow lefty Jon Lester.
The moves bring the number of players in major league camp down to 56.