Reports: Bradley Jr. To Be Demoted On 23rd Birthday

(WOLO) — Former Gamecock star and Red Sox rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. will likely be demoted on Friday to Triple-A Pawtucket. Friday will be Bradley’s 23rd birthday. Boston promoted the 22-year-old to the big leagues after his stellar spring training. He played a pivotal role in helping the Red Sox take two of three games from the Yankees in the first series of the season, but has been in a slump ever since. Bradley is 3 for 31 this season and hitless in his last 20 at-bats, with 10 strikeouts. With David Ortiz making his return to Boston on Friday, Bradley is expected to be sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket. In an interview with the Boston Globe Thursday, Bradley said being demoted won’t hurt his confidence. “It‘s still early in the season. I‘m not going to let this — 30 at-bats or whatever — define me. . . . . This isn’t how my career is going to turn out.” “If I happen to go down, I‘ll know I sucked my first go-around but I‘ll be looking forward to the next time I get the chance,” Bradley said. “I‘ve been through some tough times but I‘ll keep grinding all season. It‘s 10 or 11 games out of a season. There‘s a long way to go.”