Red Sox activate infielder Vaughn Grissom, option Bobby Dalbec

Red Sox

Grissom was acquired in December as part of the Chris Sale trade to Atlanta.

More reinforcements are on the way for the Red Sox: Vaughn Grissom is ready for his Boston debut after starting the year on the injured list.

Grissom, a second baseman, was acquired by the Red Sox in December as part of the Chris Sale trade to the Atlanta Braves. He suffered a hamstring injury during spring training that kept him off the Opening Day roster.

Before his activation Friday, Grissom completed a nine-game rehab stint in Worcester, where he hit .333 in 30 at-bats. The 23-year-old has played in 64 major league games and holds a .287 batting average in the MLB.

Grissom was originally scheduled to make his season debut earlier in the week, but came down with the flu, forcing the schedule to move back a few days.

“It’s been a long road. Me, the training staff, everyone worked to get to this point. So it’s really exciting and I’m just happy to be ready,” Grissom told reporters before the game. “I definitely haven’t got all my stamina back, the energy is good though, I’m just trying to take it step by step.”

As for Dalbec, the 28-year-old hasn’t quite found his place at the major league level yet. He got some opportunities when the Red Sox infield caught the injury bug, but in 22 games, he owns a .132 batting average.

It must be recognized that Dalbec has performed much better at the plate in recent outings, with a batting average of .286 in his last seven games. Yet his recent success wasn’t enough to keep him in Boston once Grissom was ready to play.

Grissom will start at second base against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.