Red Sox
“The way he’s talking about it, he’s close to being 100 percent.”
Reinforcements might be on the way for the Red Sox in the coming weeks.
Veteran third baseman Alex Bregman might be closer to a return to the diamond than initially expected — with the All-Star infielder telling WEEI’s Rob Bradford that there’s a chance he could be cleared for game action before the All-Star Break (July 14-17).
Bregman has not played in a game since suffering a quad injury on May 23.
“I feel really good. Today was the best that I’ve felt during the rehab process, the fastest I ran,” Bregman added, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “Resumed full baseball activity. So this is a lot of weeks ahead of it, ahead of what we predicted. So we’re kind of taking it day by day when it comes to that, because obviously you don’t want to rush it too much, but we’re very far ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point.
“And yeah, I ran the fastest I ran today. Resumed full activity — hitting, defense, throwing and running straight and curved as well. So, we’ve got a lot of running on the agenda this week. So hopefully everything continues to go smoothly.”
Speaking ahead of Boston’s eventual 13-6 win over the Reds on Monday, Alex Cora echoed Bregman’s comments about just how close the veteran is to a return.
“He feels great, but obviously we have to be smart about it,” Cora said, per Browne. “But things are trending in the right direction. The way he’s talking about it, he’s close to being 100 percent.”
Bregman’s return would be welcomed in the heart of Boston’s lineup. Even with Monday’s 13-run outburst, the Red Sox’s bats have labored since the team made the call to trade Rafael Devers to the Giants earlier this month.
Bregman was playing at an MVP level at the time of his injury, slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 homers and 35 RBI over 51 games. Despite missing over a month of action, Bregman still ranks second on the team in home runs and in doubles (17).
Beyond his health, Bregman also addressed his future with the Red Sox. Despite signing a three-year contract with Boston in February, Bregman can opt out of his current deal after both this season and in 2026 — allowing him to test free agency again if he maxes out his value.
After Bregman’s agent Scott Boras told The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey that his client would be open to a contract extension with Boston, Bregman shared the same message on Monday.
“I expected to love playing here and I have definitely loved playing here,” Bregman told reporters, including MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “It’s a great place to play baseball. Being able to play for this organization is awesome. My expectations were all very positive and it’s definitely lived up to those positive expectations.”
For now, Bregman’s top priority is getting cleared for game action and helping the Red Sox right the ship amid a 42-44 season.
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