Boston manager Bobby Valentine told reporters Sunday that Daniel Bard will be taken out of the starting rotation and will be pitching out of the Red Sox's beleaguered bullpen, for the time being, at least.

Will moving Daniel Bard to the bullpen help Bobby Valentine gain more approval from Red Sox fans? David L Ryan/Getty Images

There were logistical and performance-driven reasons for Valentine's decision, which was announced after the Red Sox's ESPN Sunday Night game against the New York Yankees was rained out at Fenway Park.

First, Bard lost his scheduled start Sunday night to Mother Nature. So Valentine, not wanting to back up everyone in the staff an extra day, opted to skip Bard's spot this time through the rotation and pitch Jon Lester Monday night in the road trip opener in Minnesota, as previously scheduled. That also will keep Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz and Felix Doubront in line for their regularly scheduled starts. Lester and Beckett will be pitching with an extra day of rest, while Buchholz and Doubront will be on normal rest.

It's not unusual for a team to skip a fourth or fifth starter, especially early in the season because of rainout weather, but there was a dual purpose for the move.

Namely, that the Red Sox's bullpen also happens to be the worst in the majors.

This is where the move seems to make the most sense for the team, especially right now, and possibly for the rest of the season.