It’s only been 54 games for the Red Sox, but one thing that has been clear, especially with Rafael Devers traded to the Giants, is that third baseman Alex Bregman is Boston’s most important offensive player. That is, of course, a good thing, especially now that Bregman is returning from a right quad injury that had kept him out since late May. But Bregman’s status is still delicate.
With that in mind, manager Alex Cora said on Friday, with the Red Sox returning to action against the Cubs in Wrigley Field, that the team will take a cautious approach with Bregman to open the second half, with the team hitting the road for a six-day, six-game trip against two good NL teams, Chicago and the Phillies.
Cora said he has already mapped out when Bregman will play. He was at third base on Friday afternoon and will be back in the lineup on Saturday for a night game. The Red Sox play again on Sunday afternoon and Bregman will get that day off.
It will be the same approach for Bregman against the Phillies, as he will play on Monday and Tuesday, but sit on Wednesday. The Red Sox are off on Thursday, meaning he will get two days of rest.
Red Sox Hoping for Big Second Half From Alex Bregman
MassLive’s Chris Smith reported that Bregman was briefly at All-Star week in Atlanta, but left on Tuesday to head home for rest and rehab.
Bregman is batting .297, with a .378 on-base percentage and a .541 slugging mark. He has hit 11 homers with 35 RBIs on the year, and is third on the team in WAR after Ceddanne Rafaela and Carlos Narvaez, at 2.8, despite the lack of playing time.
The Red Sox would very much like to have Bregman healthy and on hand for the month of August, which is by far his best month as a hitter, historically. He has batted .331 with a .411 on-base percentage and a .581 slugging percentage in his career in August.
“He’s in a good spot,” Cora said. “He was able to bounce back from that series (last weekend vs. Tampa). He felt good on Monday.”
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