BOSTON — The Red Sox did not need a closer in Monday’s home-opening rout of the Washington Nationals.

If they did need one, Koji Uehara was in uniform.

But was he ready?

Uehara, 40, was activated off the disabled list Monday, coming back from a sore hamstring muscle.

Are Uehara’s fastball and signature splitter ready for the major leagues?

“The hitters will tell me,” Uehara said through an interpreter. He didn’t say he doubted his pitches, but he was not supremely confident, either.

Uehara made one rehab appearance, on Saturday for low Class A Greenville.

He gave up three hits and a run in one inning, striking out one.

“I felt really comfortable out there,” Uehara said. “But I wasn’t pleased I got hit around.”

TOMMY LAYNE WAS sent to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for Uehara. Layne appeared in four games (42/3 innings) and had a 5.79 ERA.

Layne’s departure leaves the Red Sox with two lefties in the bullpen – Craig Breslow and Robby Ross.

Layne is the second recent addition to the Pawtucket bullpen, after Robby Scott was promoted to Triple-A from Portland over the weekend.

THE OPENING CEREMONIES featured the victorious and the courageous of New England.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, his son Jonathan (the team president), Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady entered from left field, each holding one of the Patriots’ four Super Bowl trophies.

The Richard family, the parents and siblings of Martin, the 8-year-old boy who died in the Boston Marathon bombings, waited for them near the mound. While parents Bill and Denise looked on, Henry, 12, brought a baseball to Brady. Henry then held one of the trophies while Brady threw out the first pitch.

Earlier, Jane Richard, 9, sang the national anthem along with her school choir.

After the first pitch, Pete Frates and his family came onto the infield. Frates, a former Boston College baseball player now stricken with ALS, is well known for his fundraising efforts, including the popular ice bucket challenge. Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington joined Frates, and his family, and presented Frates with a professional baseball contract. Then all the Red Sox players came out to greet Frates.

MONDAY’S GAME AGAINST the Nationals was the first home opener against a Washington team since the Red Sox beat the Washington Senators 7-3 in 1959.

 

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