The Boston Red Sox named right-hander Junichi Tazawa their temporary closer on Wednesday, Red Sox manager John Farrell said in a radio interview Tuesday. Tazawa was given the duties of closer after both Joel Hanrahan (forearm strain) and Andrew Bailey (biceps inflammation) were both placed on the disabled list.
"I think what we'd love to do is close [Junichi] Tazawa," Farrell said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Tuesday. "We'd keep Koji [Uehara] in that eighth-inning role that he's been in. We just got [Craig] Breslow back to us yesterday and before the game we put Bailey on the disabled list who had done a great job in the closing role as well.
"So, fortunately, we do have some depth to turn to internally, and we know that we've got to get through these next couple of days to kinda regroup, because [we had] a couple of extra-inning games. We were in some tight games down in Texas."
Allen Webster was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take the final roster spot in Hanrahan's absence. He will start Wednesday night's game at Fenway Park against the Minnesota Twins. Felix Doubront, who has previously served as a starter, will be sent to bullpen duties.
Hanrahan left Monday's game during the middle of the ninth inning with tightness in his forearm, but not before blowing his second save opportunity of the season and allowing the Twins to score the tying run. He was added to the DL on Tuesday afternoon, but Farrell said early indications on the injury to Hanrahan, who also missed time earlier this season with a strained hamstring, were positive.
"I think in the long run, we dodged a bullet," Hanrahan said. "It's nothing that needs a knife, so that's always positive."
Hanrahan underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam on Tuesday.
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