Red Sox Designate Marlon Byrd For Assignment

Per Ian Browne of MLB.com, the Red Sox will designate Marlon Byrd for assignment in order to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka on both the 25 and 40-man rosters.

It's a move that most of us saw coming--or at least hoped we did--given Byrd's mediocre performance with the team since he was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Michael Bowden.

To be fair to Byrd, he did what he was supposed to after being acquired by the Sox. His change of scenery offered a modest revival from the absolutely dismal start he endured, and he provided a warm body where it seemed the Sox had none with two full outfields on the disabled list.

Still, with Daniel Nava playing out of his mind, Scott Podsednik providing a good few hits when given the opportunity to do so, and both Ryan Sweeney and Darnell McDonald making their way back from the disabled list, the Sox had a choice to make, and they made the right one here. McDonald has some decent utility against left-handed pitchers and has learned to play the wall. Podsednik may as well be given the chance to keep his hot streak going until the Sox can turn to the likes of Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Kalish, or Cody Ross, and to send Daniel Nava down secure in the knowledge that they could keep him with the team would be the worst kind of hoarding.

Now all that remains is to see if Daisuke Matsuzaka can prove his worth on the mound Saturday.