Red Sox call up prospect Jose Iglesias for infield depth - MLB

So far at least Kevin Youkilis has avoided the disabled list despite being out of the lineup tonight for the third straight game with a back injury, but in the meantime the Red Sox have called up shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias to provide some infield depth.

Youkilis is active but not available, so Boston demoted right-hander Junichi Tazawa to Triple-A to make room on the roster for Iglesias.

Nick Punto has been filling in for Youkilis at third base, so manager Bobby Valentine could decide to shift Mike Aviles to the hot corner instead and use the slick-fielding Iglesias at shortstop. Or maybe Iglesias will just hang around for a few days as bench insurance.

Valentine was full of praise for Iglesias during spring training, but the 22-year-old was hitting just .200 with a .485 OPS at Triple-A after posting similarly underwhelming numbers in Pawtucket last season. His defense is widely considered Gold Glove-caliber, but so far his bat hasn’t even been utility man-caliber.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.