Barnes allowed five runs on eight hits in eight innings for Pawtucket, but the Red Sox were impressed with how the 24-year-old former first-round pick pitched in shorter stints during spring training.

Barnes had started two games for Triple A Pawtucket, but the Red Sox will use him to supplement what has been an overworked bullpen. Through Friday, Red Sox relievers were second in the American League with 63⅓ innings. Only four times in the Red Sox’ first 18 games has a Sox starter gotten any outs in the seventh inning.

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox placed right fielder Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles and recalled righthander Matt Barnes .


“Power stuff. Looking forward to him being available for us,” manager John Farrell said before a 5-4 loss in 10 innings. Barnes worked two scoreless innings in the game.

The Sox are particularly concerned with not overusing righthanded setup man Junichi Tazawa, who has appeared in nine games. Friday was his fourth game in five days.

“Felt like we needed to add another arm to the bullpen. Just with the number of innings that we’ve been going to out there,” Farrell said.

Farrell said the Red Sox will stay with the extra reliever through at least the three-game series against Toronto that starts on Monday at Fenway Park. The team is off on Thursday and could adjust the roster again then.

Barnes was considered for a bullpen spot out of spring training but was instead sent back to the minors to get stretched out as a starter. Farrell said the Sox could use him in multiple-inning stints.

“We’re cognizant of not wanting to flip-flop back and forth, but at the same time he’s a talented guy and we feel like he can help us win now,” Farrell said.


Barnes allowed two hits in the eighth inning but escaped trouble. He then worked a perfect ninth inning. He hit 96 miles per hour with his fastball.

“What our bullpen needs is some power and some swing-and-miss ability and he provided that,” Farrell said.

Barnes said pitching in relief last season and during spring training has him prepared.

“Different mentality again,” he said. “Having to kind of cut back [innings] a little bit, I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”

Victorino is on the disabled list for the fifth time since the Red Sox signed him before the 2013 season and for the third time with a right hamstring strain. The 34-year-old outfielder was injured on Wednesday when he stole second base against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Victorino played only 30 games last season, twice going on the disabled list with a hamstring strain then having back surgery in August. The Red Sox hoped that the surgery would alleviate the chronic hamstring issues but Victorino lasted only 12 games into this season before returning to the DL.

Victorino was 5 for 35 (.143) with one extra-base hit and two RBIs.

“I wouldn’t say he’s stalled. Actually he’s improving,” Farrell said. “He worked out [Saturday] morning and ran in the pool. But felt like with the numbers of innings our bullpen was pitching, that was the overriding thing at this point.”

Allen Craig started in right field on Saturday and was 1 for 4. The Sox also have Brock Holt and Daniel Nava available for that spot.


If Victorino is out for an extended time, the Sox have Jackie Bradley Jr. available at Pawtucket and Rusney Castillo is expected to come off the minor league disabled list this week.

Split personality

Sox closer Koji Uehara, who allowed two runs in the 10th inning, has thrown 72 pitches this season and 61 have been splitters. He usually has a more even distribution of splitters and four-seam fastballs. In 2014, Uehara threw his splitter 48 percent of the time and his fastball 41 percent.

“That’s what the catcher is putting down right now,” Uehara said via translator C.J. Matsumoto before the game.

Uehara said he has faith in his fastball and twice shook off Ryan Hanigan on Friday night to get to it. He threw 11 consecutive splitters to start the ninth inning before throwing a fastball that Steve Pearce fouled off. Manny Machado took the second fastball for a ball.

Uehara allowed two hits, but then got two outs for his third save.

On Saturday, he threw five fastballs out of 14 pitches. The few fastballs he has thrown have averaged 87 miles per hour, roughly the same as last season.

Uehara started the season on the disabled list because of a hamstring strain and appeared in only three games during spring training. He said his arm strength has only recently felt normal.

Uehara would like to throw his splitter at 80 m.p.h., which was the case on Friday. It was 77-78 before that.


“I’m feeling much better compared to my first game,” he said. “Once I get more innings, I’ll be more confident. The splitter is getting to where it should be. I’m not concerned about it.”

Holt takes a seat

Holt won Friday’s game with a three-run homer in the eighth inning, but was out of the lineup on Saturday. Xander Bogaerts was back at shortstop and homered. Farrell said Holt would start on Sunday, but wasn’t sure at what position . . . Hanley Ramirez’s batting helmet seems to fall off at least once a game. Ramirez said his dreadlocks are braided together this season, making his hair a little thicker, but he has no plans to get a smaller helmet. “If I keep hitting homers does it matter? Hell no,” he said. “We’re winning.” . . . Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 against Wei-Yin Chen and Brian Matusz and is now 0 for 17 on the season batting righthanded against lefthanded pitchers . . . Mike Napoli’s home run in the second inning ended a 24-game drought, matching the longest of his career . . . Orioles manager Buck Showalter attended a memorial service for his father-in-law in Tennessee and arrived shortly after the game started.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.