The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves today. First baseman Mitch Moreland is headed to the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain, helping to free up roster space for some tweaks to the team’s bullpen mix.

Lefty Josh Taylor will be promoted for his first taste of the majors. He had already been added to the 40-man roster last fall to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The Sox also sent down Travis Lakins after his tough outing last night, recalling fellow right-hander Colten Brewer.

Moreland had been down for a few days already, though his absence had been attributed to a knee contusion. He has also dealt with minor back issues in the recent past. Rather than pushing him to return, the Sox will allow the left-handed-hitting first bagger some time to recuperate.

Thus far at Triple-A, Taylor carries a 2.91 ERA with 29 strikeouts and nine walks. The 26-year-old gives the Sox a much-needed southpaw presence in their relief unit. As we discussed earlier this morning, the Boston pen has struggled to retire opposing lefty hitters. Taylor has actually struggled quite a bit against lefty hitters this year in the highest level of the minors, surrendering a cumulative .286/.364/.500 batting line, though he has carried more typical platoon splits in prior seasons.