Alex Bregman activated from IL, will hit second vs. Rays on Friday night
Alex Bregman is off the Injured List and back in the Boston Red Sox lineup. Bregman will be at third base and hit second for Boston Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.
He joins a Red Sox team that is red hot at the moment, having won seven straight and ten of their last 12 games. Boston currently holds a one-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the third Wild Card spot in the American League.
To make way for Bregman, infielder David Hamilton has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester. In addition, righty Hunter Dobbins was also activated and is set to start Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, while reliever Isaiah Campbell was sent back down to Worcester.
Boston manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Bregman will play two games between Friday and Sunday as the team closes its four-game set with the Rays at Fenway Park. Chances are Bregman will get Saturday off and then play Sunday in the team's final game ahead of the MLB All-Star break.
Alex Bregman returning Friday night
Here is Boston's full lineup for Friday night's game:
1. Jarren Duran, LF
2. Alex Bregman, 3B
3. Masataka Yoshida, DH
4. Carlos Narváez, C
5. Wilyer Abreu, RF
6. Trevor Story, SS
7. Marcelo Mayer, 2B
8. Abraham Toro, 1B
9. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
Bregman missed the last 43 games after he suffered a right quad strain while running out a single on May 23rd. He's been working out at Fenway Park all week, and went through a full workout before the team's win over the Rays on Thursday night.
The Red Sox feel comfortable enough with where Bregman is in his recovery to activate him without sending the 31-year-old on a Minor League rehab assignment.
"Physically, he has done everything here. We trust the at-bat, we trust him. We're gonna roll with it," Cora said Thursday. "You gain, I don't know, five, six or seven at-bats, so why not get them here?"
Cora's biggest concern with Bregman is in the field, but said he'll be out there for nine innings at third base when he does return.
Bregman has been excellent in his first season in Boston, slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 homers, 17 doubles, and 35 RBI in his 51 games before the injury. Those numbers earned him a spot on the AL All-Star team for the third time in his career, but Bregman will not play in Tuesday night's Midsummer Classic in Atlanta.
David Hamilton sent to Worcester
While there were some rumblings the Red Sox could demote prospect Marcelo Mayer to clear room for Bregman, the team opted to send down the speedster Hamilton instead. Hamilton made the Opening Day roster as a backup behind Kristian Campbell, and has appeared in 62 games for Boston, and hit just .179 with 31 strikeouts in his 123 at-bats. He offers some strong defense in the field though, and started 29 games at second and six at shortstop for the Red Sox.
As for Mayer, the 22-year-old will now move across the diamond and play some second base. Friday night will be his fourth start at the position this season.
Mayer made his MLB debut the day after Bregman was hurt and has slashed .234/.272/.421 with four homers, six doubles, and nine RBI over 37 games. He was 1-for-3 in Thursday night's win, and ripped an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to cut Tampa's lead to 3-2. Mayer scored the go-ahead run for Boston the next batter, when Cedanne Rafaela socked a two-run single.