BOSTON -- For the Red Sox, this final homestand before the All-Star break represents reinforcement week.
While Masataka Yoshida's return to action is all but set for Wednesday, there continues to be deliberations regarding Alex Bregman, who may play at some point during a four-game series against the Rays that begins on Thursday.
“Everything's going good,” Bregman said following Monday's 9-3 win over the Rockies at Fenway Park. “Last week, I touched high-velocity [pitching] three days in a row. Running-wise, I got a lot of volume in. So, I’m trending toward a return here really quickly, whether it's end of this week or the first game after the [All-Star] break -- one of those two, but hoping that it'll be the end of this week.”
However, even if Bregman does return prior to the break from the right quad injury he sustained on May 23, he indicated he will give up his spot on the American League All-Star team, though nothing is official yet.
“I don't think I'm gonna play, but I might go and take [my son] Knox to the [T-Mobile] Home Run Derby for a day,” Bregman said. “But I think, for me, with just the timing of everything, what I need to do is hopefully be back playing by the end of this week, and use the All-Star break to continue to build up and work on my leg, and make sure that we just continue the progression the right way.”
Bregman’s selection as an All-Star took some by surprise, considering how much time he’s been on the injured list. But it also shows how productive he was before the injury and how much his peers -- who voted him in as a reserve -- respect him.
“Just a tremendous honor, obviously,” said Bregman. “To be selected by my peers, I felt like was a huge honor, and [I'm] just super appreciative. A lot of hard work has gone into it being my first selection since 2019 -- so, six years [ago]. I’m super pumped and just honored to be selected by my peers.”
The Red Sox are working in concert with the training staff to make sure Bregman doesn’t come back too fast -- but his return is looming.
"How soon? We don't know yet, but he's [been] hitting outside," manager Alex Cora said. "He feels great. If it's up to him, [he would have been back] yesterday, but obviously, it's not up to him."
Asked specifically if Bregman would play against the Rays -- which would likely mean foregoing any Minor League rehab games -- Cora didn’t rule it out.
“That's a tough [decision],” Cora said. “Probably we want to see him do it a little more [the next couple of days]. He feels like he can go right now. So that's why I'm saying, let's get together as a group and be smart about it and decide what we’re going to do.”
While Yoshida doesn’t carry Bregman’s starpower, his return to the Red Sox will be significant, given the quality of his at-bats from the left side.
Yoshida returned to Boston on Monday, following a five-game Minor League rehab assignment.
WIth lefties starting the first two games of the series for Colorado, there was no reason to rush Yoshida, who worked out on Monday and is likely to do so again on Tuesday. Look for him to get his first start of the season against righty Antonio Senzatela on Wednesday.
Yoshida had a right shoulder labral repair in the offseason. Though he served as a designated hitter during Spring Training, he couldn’t break camp with the Red Sox because he wasn’t far enough along in his throwing program. The issue was complicated by the presence of the since-traded Rafael Devers, who was used exclusively at DH this season before he was moved to the Giants.
While Bregman will slot right back into the mix at third base and either the second or third spot in the batting order when he returns, Yoshida’s return creates a crowd in the OF/DH equation.
Yoshida will often serve as the DH against righties, with Rob Refsnyder serving as the other half of that platoon.
That leaves Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu vying for three lineup spots against righties.
However, no team -- particularly one fighting to get back into the heart of postseason contention -- will complain about having an overload of position-player depth.