The Boston Red Sox activated All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman from the 10-day injured list before Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bregman, who has been sidelined since May 24 with a right quad strain, returned to his customary spot in the field and was slotted in the No. 2 spot of Boston’s lineup for the second of a four-game series against the Rays. He sustained the injury when he rounded first base and felt his quad tighten up.
A two-time World Series winner who spent the first nine seasons of his big-league career with the Houston Astros, Bregman signed a $120 million, three-year contract with Boston in February. At the time of the injury, he was hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs. Those numbers led to Bregman being named to the American League’s All-Star team for the third time since breaking into the majors with the Astros in 2016.
Bregman missed 43 games with the quad strain. Earlier this week, he told reporters that he was trending in a direction where he didn’t believe he would require a minor-league rehab assignment. With three games left before the All-Star break, the Red Sox agreed the time was right to reinstate a player to a team that entered Friday in possession of one of the AL’s three wild-card berths.
“He’s going to do his part,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before Friday’s game. “Obviously, the timing, we’ll see where he’s at, but he’s been working hard on the swing … visualizing and watching video.”
Marcelo Mayer has primarily played third base in Bregman’s absence, with it unclear what role the rookie infielder will play moving forward. The Red Sox selected Mayer with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
