The Boston Red Sox are still waiting on Alex Bregman to return from his quad strain, and it’s going to be a while longer.
Bregman started his running progression on Thursday, which is encouraging. But manager Alex Cora made it clear he’s still "far away" from picking up a bat, according to ESPN.
“The progression is going well. Let’s see how he feels tomorrow and then we’ll go from there, and obviously we’re still far away from him starting the baseball progression.”
That’s the reality for Boston’s $120 million investment. Bregman signed that three-year deal in the offseason and was having an excellent start – slashing .299/.385/.553 in 51 games before the injury hit.
The concern here is the 2021 comparison. When Bregman dealt with a similar quad injury during his time with the Houston Astros, it kept him out for over two months. The Red Sox initially feared this one was just as significant.
What makes this a bit more optimistic is that Cora’s noted Bregman’s progress compared to that 2021 timeline is encouraging. The third baseman is clearly eager to get back.
“If it’s up to him, he’ll be playing tonight. He’s locked in. He has his date on his mind. We just have to keep working. Obviously we don’t want to rush and we have to be very diligent with it. But he’s feeling great.”
That’s the balance Boston has to strike right now. They’ve got a franchise player who’s itching to return, but they can’t afford to rush him back and risk a setback that could cost them even more time.
The Red Sox are being careful for good reason – they need Bregman healthy for the long haul, not just a few games before another IL stint.
