The Boston Red Sox haven't been at full strength by any means in Spring Training but they got a big boost on Friday.
It was announced that Wilyer Abreu was cleared after dealing with his gastrointestinal virus illness. It was shared that he was going to participate in minor league action on Friday and then play in a big league game on Saturday. Clearly, everything went well as he was in the lineup on Saturday as Boston took on the Atlanta Braves and Chris Sale.
There certainly was a time in which it didn't seem like there was any chance that Abreu would be ready for Opening Day. Things have changed, though, and MassLive.com's Sean McAdam shared that manager Alex Cora thinks that it is "possible" that Abreu ends up being ready to go.
"Wilyer Abreu will make his spring debut Saturday, having gotten clearance from recent tests," McAdam said. "Alex Cora now thinks it’s possible for Abreu to be active for Opening Day. That’s a change from a week ago."
Abreu had a fantastic rookie year and the Red Sox are fortunate to still have him despite all of the trade rumors. He won a Gold Glove Award in 2024 and is at least trending in the right direction. Nothing is guaranteed at this point, but this update is at least exciting.
Boston has dealt with injuries and illnesses throughout camp so far, but things are finally trending in the right direction.