Barnes (bereavement) will return to the Red Sox ahead of Sunday's game against the Tigers, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal reports.
Manager John Farrell indicated that Barnes will be the primary eighth-inning pitcher upon his return, so the right-hander will take on heavy duty right away. The Red Sox blew a 5-4 lead in the eighth Friday, as Heath Hembree, Robby Scott and Joe Kelly failed to shut down the potent Detroit lineup. Barnes impressed in Grapefruit League play, posting a 0.93 ERA over 9.2 innings, and now gets a shot to translate that success to the big stage as the new setup man.