Lavarnway, Spears and Weiland Called Up

The Boston Red Sox today recalled catcher Ryan Lavarnway and right-handed pitcher Kyle Weiland from Triple-A Pawtucket and selected infielder/outfielder Nate Spears to the active Major League roster from Pawtucket. To make room for Spears on the 40-man roster, the club designated infielder Drew Sutton for assignment. Lavarnway, Weiland and Spears will all be active for today's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, wearing No. 60, 70 and 71 respectively. With the moves, the club's active Major League roster is at 31.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

The 24-year-old Lavarnway will be in his second stint with the Red Sox this season. He was selected to Boston's Major League roster on August 18 and made his Major League debut that night with a start at designated hitter. The right-handed batter made six starts at DH overall with the Red Sox and also appeared in one game at catcher, batting .304 (7-for-23) with two doubles, three RBI, three runs and four walks with the Big League club before being optioned back to Pawtucket on August 25. He has also combined to hit .290 (126-for-435) with 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 93 RBI, 75 runs scored and 57 walks in 116 games between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket in 2011, including 62 appearances at catcher. Lavarnway ranks tied for fourth among all minor leaguers in home runs this season, the most by any Red Sox farmhand since 2004, and is also among Boston's minor leaguer leaders in RBI (2nd) and batting average (7th). Since his promotion to Triple-A on June 13, he leads the International League with 18 homers and a .612 slugging percentage while pacing the PawSox with a .295 clip (67-for-227), 18 doubles (tied) and 55 RBI in 61 games.

Weiland, 24, is in his second stint with the Red Sox this year after making his Major League debut with the club on July 10. He went 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA (9 ER/10.0 IP) and four strikeouts over two starts with Boston before being optioned back to Pawtucket on July 25. The right-hander tallied an 8-10 record in 24 starts for Pawtucket this year with a 3.58 ERA (51 ER/128.1 IP), the 10th-lowest mark in the International League. A third-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2008, he has recorded 126 strikeouts, most among Boston farmhands, and ranks second among qualifying Triple-A starters with a .232 opponent average (108-for-465) and is third with a rate of 8.84 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.

For Spears, 26, this will be his first career Major League stint. The left-handed hitter has spent the 2011 season with Pawtucket, batting .248 (78-for-315) with 19 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 45 RBI, 49 runs, 49 walks and 13 stolen bases in 96 games. He has made 37 appearances at second base, 16 at third base, four at shortstop, one at first base, 23 in right field and 13 in left field. Signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent prior to the 2010 season, Spears is in his ninth professional season.

The 28-year-old Sutton went 17-for-54 (.315) with seven doubles, seven RBI, three walks and 11 runs in 31 games over three stints with Boston this year while making appearances at all four infield positions and left field. In 44 games with the PawSox this season, the switch-hitter has batted .301 (49-for-163) with 13 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 27 RBI, 24 runs and 20 walks.