Red Sox will DL Franklin Morales Wednesday, call up Clayton Mortensen

We knew Franklin Morales was going to go on the disabled list with a pectoral strain, but we weren't sure when it would happen or who would be replacing him in the bullpen or on the roster. Red Sox manager John Farrell appeared on MLB Network Radio on Tuesday, though, and clarified the injury and roster issue.

The issue is that Clayton Mortensen is the pitcher the Red Sox want to call up to replace Morales, but he's not eligible to return from the disabled list until Wednesday. That means the Sox will wait the day, with their bullpen a man short, then swap out Morales for Mortensen before Wednesday's game against the Rockies. This would be more of a problem if not for the off day on Monday, but with a Sunday afternoon game followed up by a day off, the pen is rested, and, barring disaster, should be able to easily carry the load without Morales (or Mortensen) for one night.

Luckily, Morales is not seriously hurt -- he's just going to need rest and rehab to get back what passes for 100 percent in-season, according to Farrell:

"The exam shows that it's not too, too serious, but nonetheless, it's to the throwing area for a pitcher and he's going to have be shut down for a little bit of time here."

Mortensen was sent to the DL for an hip impingement that he had been dealing with since the spring. He's been pitching horribly since he was recalled to the majors for good in August of 2012, however, so coming back healthy doesn't necessarily mean he'll be useful once again. If the Sox need an arm to throw a few innings when way up or way down, though, Mortensen should suffice in the role for now.

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