Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman exited Friday’s game with what the team described as tightness in his quad, and the injury has turned out to be worse than initially expected.
Bregman ripped a line drive to left field during the Red Sox’s 19-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. He rounded first and thought about taking off for second before quickly retreating.
After he abruptly put the brakes on, Bregman came up lame. He immediately motioned for a trainer and then limped into the dugout.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that Bregman felt worse than he expected when the Gold Glove winner woke up on Saturday. Bregman underwent an MRI and was placed on the injured list.
“It’s a significant injury. He’s gonna be out a while,” Cora said. “Very similar to ’21. I’m not gonna give you a timetable. Hopefully, trusting our medical staff, it’s gonna be sooner rather than later, but he’s gonna be out a while.”
Bregman missed roughly two months when he dealt with a quad injury with the Houston Astros in 2021. He sat out 58 games before returning.
The Red Sox called up Marcelo Mayer, who is one of their top prospects, to take Bregman’s spot on the roster. Mayer started at third base on Saturday and Sunday.
There had been speculation that Rafael Devers would be asked to return to third base in Bregman’s absence, but he has remained Boston’s designated hitter thus far. Devers was openly furious with the Red Sox for giving his fielding job to Bregman over the winter.
Bregman signed a 3-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox in February. He was off to a great start to his first season in Boston with a .299 average, 11 home runs and 35 RBI through 51 games. It sounds like the 31-year-old will now be out through at least the All-Star break.
