Red Sox place Andrew Bailey on DL, activate Craig Breslow

Andrew Bailey underwent an MRI in Boston on Monday to determine if there was anything besides inflammation in his biceps. After seeing the results, the Red Sox made a roster move and placed Bailey, the team's closer, on the DL with a sore biceps, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. Craig Breslow was activated from the disabled list, ending his rehab assignment, in order to fill the roster spot.

Bailey has not pitched since April 28, when he first felt soreness in his biceps. While he was placed on the DL Monday, it's retroactive to the 29th, so he can return next Tuesday, May 14. That assumes that, like John Lackey before him, all he needs is some rest and maybe a short rehab stint in order to get back to business, rather than anything extensive. As the diagnosis of the MRI was tendinitis according to Alex Speier, rest and rehab sounds about right.

As for Breslow, he missed all of spring training and only recently began to work his way back to the Red Sox. The southpaw, who has no prominent splits and can face both lefties and righties, has been missed in the bullpen, with innings that normally would have gone Breslow's way instead handed off to Andrew Miller, Clayton Mortensen, and the like. There's nothing necessarily wrong with those arms, but they are backup options to someone like Breslow, who Boston locked up past his arbitration years before the season began.

As a spot opened up with Bailey to the DL, no decision needs to be made about the future of Miller and Co. in Boston just yet. Eventually, the Red Sox just might have all of their planned relievers in the bullpen at once, forcing a roster move that results in losing some of that relief depth. With the rate relievers keep rising and falling, though, you might want to wait on marking your calendar for a little bit.