As one player goes down, another has to step up and take his place. That’s about how things have been going in Boston, as they have had to bring up several reinforcements sooner than anticipated this season. With Will Middlebrooks, Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino all being placed on the disabled list, players like Brock Holt, Alex Hassan, and Garin Cecchini have all needed to be called up, not just to provide fresh bodies, but to fill in adequately enough that the disabled household names don’t go as missed as originally thought.
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Now, a familiar face is being called up to rejoin the Red Sox ranks. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, along with several Boston beat writers, is reporting that Daniel Nava is on a plane headed for Cleveland. The Boston Red Sox open a series with the Cleveland Indians on Monday and Nava will likely be in uniform and ready to play. Nava would be taking the place of Mike Carp, who is likely to land on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right foot.
Nava was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday, not only because of a necessary move to make room for Rubby De La Rosa, but also because of his struggles at the plate. Nava has seen a severe drop in production this season, slashing .130/.221/.234 in just 22 games with Boston this season. Last season, Nava’s first as a full-time player, he played in 134 games, slashing .303/.385/.445. Nava was viewed as the fourth outfielder on the 2014 team after the surprise emergence of Grady Sizemore. Sizemore not only broke camp with the team ahead of prospect Jackie Bradley, Jr., but also assumed the starting center field position to replace Jacoby Ellsbury.
Even though Brock Holt made his first professional appearance at first base on Sunday, Nava could end up playing the position more regularly as Mike Napoli recovers from a finger injury.