Amid Alex Bregman's injury, MLB analyst shares insights on the Red Sox star's future in Boston
The Boston Red Sox are sweating on the fitness of Alex Bregman after the All-Star third baseman suffered a quad injury on Friday during the four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Bregman, who moved from the Houston Astros to Boston in free agency during the offseason, is likely to be out of action for two months due to his "significant injury," per manager Alex Cora.
The former Astros star signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox. The deal included opt-outs after the first two years. With his latest injury, Bregman is unlikely to opt out at the end of the season, and former scout and analyst Jeremy Booth believes Bregman wasn't going to opt out of his contract regardless of the injury.
"The context is he wasn't going anywhere anyway," Booth said (10:15 onward). "He's made for that city, he's made for that, and I know the Astros fans, you know, and to the city's credit, they moved on. He was a big part of the fabric of that golden era that seems to be at the tail end, or at least being reinvented."
While there was uncertainty over Bregman's role with the Red Sox at the start of the season, the two-time World Series winner made a seamless transition to Boston and was one of its best performers before the injury.
"Alex Bregman fits in the Northeast," Booth said. "He fits with the Red Sox. He fits in Fenway Park. He performs there, and the fans love him. He just kind of embodies what they're about up there and. I didn't see him leaving anyway. He's right there in the middle of it, one of the oldest franchises in the game, and he's kind of a Red Sox through and through."
Exciting Red Sox prospect fills in for Alex Bregman
While Alex Bregman's injury wasn't considered serious initially, MRI results revealed a different story. There is no set timetable for the third baseman's return yet, but he is expected to miss nearly two months of action, similar to what happened when he suffered a quad injury in 2021.
Boston promoted No. 2 Marcelo Mayer to fill the gap at third base in the wake of Alex Bregman's injury. Mayer went 0-for-4 on his MLB debut against the Orioles on Saturday but followed with 2-for-4 in his second game.