Red Sox DFA Mauro Gomez to make room for Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Boston Red Sox have designated corner infielder Mauro Gomez for assignment to make room on their roster for outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the team has announced.

Gomez entered camp competing to fill in for injured designated hitter David Ortiz. He was solid in his major league debut last season, but he struggled this spring -- hitting only .156/.240/.200 over 50 plate appearances.

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Last season, Gomez hit .275/.324/.422 with five doubles, two triples and two home runs over 111 plate appearances for the Red Sox. He also spent 100 games with Boston's Triple-A affiliate, batting .310/.371/.589 with 34 doubles and 24 home runs over 426 plate appearances. In nine seasons in the minors, the 28-year-old owns a career batting line of .281/.334/.484.

Bradley earned a spot on the Red Sox Opening Day roster with a strong performance this spring -- hitting .419/.507/.613 over 28 games. The 22-year-old spent last season with Boston's Single- and Double-A squads, batting a combined .315/.430/.482 with 42 doubles and nine home runs over 575 plate appearances.

The Red Sox made Bradley a first-round selection (40th overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft. He entered the spring considered a top 50 prospect by Baseball America and MLB.com.

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