BOSTON -- Travis Shaw walked gingerly to his locker Friday night, his swollen and bruised left foot colored purple with flecks of red and blue. But at least he wasn't Brock Holt or Hanley Ramirez, both of whom left Fenway Park in various states of discomfort with freshly sustained injuries.

Attrition is a real thing in a sport that rarely pauses to take a day off. And at the midpoint of the season, the Boston Red Sox are dealing with as much physical wear and tear as any team in the American League.

It's a good thing, then, that the Sox traded for Aaron Hill on Thursday. The 34-year-old infielder has been an everyday player for most of his 12-year career, and on his first day with his new team, he filled in for Shaw at third base and delivered a pair of RBI singles in a series-opening, 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"Definitely made me forget that I got up at 4:30 in the morning, that's for sure," said Hill, who hopped a flight from Milwaukee to Boston to join the Red Sox. "Obviously the last day has been kind of a whirlwind. To walk away with a win and being able to contribute, it was a special day."

Make no mistake: Hill will have to contribute if the Red Sox are going to make the playoffs.

Pitching, in all its forms, remains Boston's most pressing need. Five-inning, four-run stints from the likes of Friday night starter Sean O'Sullivan aren't going to cut it. And even if Craig Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa aren't seriously injured, the Red Sox still need another late-inning reliever to ease the burden on 41-year-old setup man Koji Uehara.

But deepening the bench and providing manager John Farrell greater roster flexibility were also priorities even before Shaw fouled a pitch off his foot Wednesday night, Holt sprained his left ankle sliding awkwardly into second base Friday night and Ramirez fouled a couple of balls off his left shin.

In 2013, the Red Sox won the World Series on the strength of their depth, with role players such as Jonny Gomes, Mike Carp and Daniel Nava providing meaningful contributions while splitting time. And considering the grueling schedule that lies ahead in the second half of this season, the Sox will need as many fresh and capable bodies as possible. After the All-Star break next week, they will play 44 of their final 75 games on the road, including three trips of at least 10 games and two visits to the West Coast.

Hill's presence should help make things easier on everyone. If he isn't playing third base against left-handed pitchers as part of a platoon with righty-hitting Shaw, he could spell second baseman Dustin Pedroia, whose hair-on-fire style of play always puts him at risk for injury. And whenever 40-year-old slugger David Ortiz needs a day to rest his aching feet and heels, first baseman Ramirez could fill in as the designated hitter, Shaw could move to first and Hill could play third.

"That versatility allows us to give a breather when needed and to keep some guys fresh," Farrell said. "We've got a lot of games ahead of us, some travel that's maybe going to be requiring some rotation in there. Aaron's a very good fit for what's upcoming."

Hill made an immediate impact in his Red Sox debut. A self-described pull hitter, he banged a single off the Green Monster in the fourth inning to open a 4-2 lead for O'Sullivan, who nevertheless gave it right back in the fifth. And with the Red Sox leading by one run in the eighth inning, Hill lined an RBI single the other way to right field to provide the cushion that Uehara needed after giving up a solo homer to Evan Longoria in the top of the ninth.

"We've really beared down this year and bought into just trying to be not so much a pull hitter," Hill said. "It's not so much using the whole field, but using a different approach. Obviously it's nice to put one off the Monster, but at the same time, we don't want to be too pull-happy and make ourselves vulnerable to other pitches."

Said Farrell: "Aaron comes in and gives us a spark. Two big, quality at-bats for a couple of RBIs, no bigger than the final one the way it finished out."

At the same time, Hill offered a reminder of the importance of depth to survive a schedule that won't get any less forgiving.