The Boston Red Sox took another hit to their infield depth as third baseman Alex Bregman was placed on the injured list with a severe quad strain. The injury is being compared to the one he suffered in 2021 with the Houston Astros, which sidelined him for 50 games.
Boston was already thin in the infield before Bregman’s injury. First baseman Triston Casas sustained a season-ending left patellar tendon rupture earlier this month.
With Rafael Devers unwilling to play first base after moving to designated hitter following Bregman’s arrival, the Red Sox had considered shifting rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell to first, with recently called-up prospect Marcelo Mayer slotting in at second.
Now, those plans are in flux. Mayer will take over at third base.
“Mayer’s going to play third. It seems like he’s the plan kind of on an everyday basis, which is kind of crazy because this kid is a natural shortstop,” MassLive.com Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo told the “Foul Territory” podcast. “He was starting to work on second base so they can move Campbell to first. Now, all those plans are kind of ruined.”
With Bregman out, Cotillo noted that the injury “extends the leash” on both Campbell and shortstop Trevor Story, who have struggled at the plate over the past month
“It’s kind of like a fire drill times four, at this point, because they have to keep moving pieces around,” said Cotillo. “Devers is still not going back in the field, I think the door is shut on that. There’s a lot going on when it comes to the infield. It just shows you how losing Casas and how losing Bregman has really affected them and the domino effect is huge.”
The Red Sox appeared to go all-in this year. Along with the Bregman signing, they traded for left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and signed Walker Buehler to a one-year deal. Still, they sit at 27–29 and are in fourth place in the American League East.
