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Alex Bregman

Eight Straight? Or Not?

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are feeling good.

After sweeping back-to-back cellar dwellers in the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, the Red Sox extended their winning streak to a season-best seven games by rallying past the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. They will look for a second straight win as they continue the four-game AL East series tonight.

“That’s the type of team we are; we never lose hope, and we always battle,” Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela said. “It was a battle (on Thursday) — and we won the battle.”

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Rafaela had two of just four Boston hits in the series opener, including the deciding two-run single during a three-run seventh inning.

The Red Sox had not named a starting pitcher for Friday’s game, but the assignment of reliever Isaiah Campbell to Worcester cleared a spot for Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 4.10 ERA), who is now expected to come off the injured list (right elbow strain) and make the start.

“We’re deeper than other years,” Boston manager Alex Cora said before Thursday’s game. “You feel like in that spot, if something happens, somebody will be here and do the job.”

Dobbins and fellow youngster Richard Fitts — who earned his first career win Monday before returning to Worcester — have both been strong when called upon.

Dobbins’ last start was on June 20, when he allowed four earned runs in a four-inning no-decision at the San Francisco Giants. Friday will mark his first career start against Tampa Bay.

Also due to return is third baseman Alex Bregman, who is expected to forgo a rehab assignment in the minors to play Friday or Saturday. He had a right quad strain.

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“He’ll play two of the games (prior to the All-Star break), let’s put it that way,” Cora said.

The Rays will look to turn things around following their fifth loss out of seven on their 10-game trip. It was their 16th loss in a one-run game this season and came despite a quality start from Taj Bradley.

Manager Kevin Cash entered the series with hope after the Rays acquired reliever Bryan Baker from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

Baker is expected to offer major help in a bullpen that had a 7.20 ERA over the past two weeks. Unable to build on Junior Caminero and Ha-Seong Kim homers, Baker took the loss following Boston’s big inning.

“Something that we probably needed. He’s going to add to it,” Cash said. “He’s pitched really well for the Orioles this year, and he’s gotten outs against us. It’ll be nice to be able to hand him the ball and get some outs for us now.”

Cash will now give the ball to right-hander Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 2.82), who is set to tag-team with Joe Boyle for a third straight appearance. He is still seeing limited action following his third major elbow surgery.

Rasmussen last pitched two innings of one-run ball Sunday in a win over the Minnesota Twins. He threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes.

“I think it does two things,” Rasmussen said. “It lets us get the Joe Boyle experience, which is electric. And then also allows me to just stay on routine as well as limit some of the innings for this year.”

The 29-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, but Friday will mark his first since 2022.

–Field Level Media

Sox Promote Marcelo

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BOSTON – He’s beginning his career in Major League Baseball with the first name recognition at Fenway Park. Like a Brazilian soccer star, highly-touted Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer left Triple A baseball and is now in Boston, forever to be known as, just, “Marcelo.”

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The 22-year old infielder is likely to replace third baseman Alex Bregman, who left Friday’s game against Baltimore with an injured quad. He was not in today’s lineup and manager Alex Cora resigned himself to the likelihood that Bregman would have to be placed on the injured list with a severe right “quad” strain.

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but yes,” Cora said, confirming the injury which the Sox hoped was simply a tweak, not a strain, never mind a severe strain.

Now, the focus turns to the Red Sox youth movement.

Mayer was the fourth overall selection in the 2021 MLB draft. While he has struggled with injuries, Mayer has excelled through 43 games for Triple-A Worcester this season, hitting .271 and owning an .818 OPS while blasting nine home runs.

He is regarded as an excellent defender, with the vast majority of his minor league career spent at shortstop. Mayer played 29 games at short, nine at second base and four at third this year for Worcester.

Bregman was enjoying an outstanding first year in Boston, batting .299 with a .938 OPS in 51 games. Bregman, who signed a three-year, $120 million dollar deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2025 season, leads all American League third basemen in slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.385), RBI (35), home runs (11) and doubles (17).

Bregman suffered the quad injury after rounding first base on a single to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning and was immediately replaced by Abraham Toro.

Mayer is the No. 8 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He suffered a lower back strain at Double-A Portland last season and only played in 77 games, hitting .307 with eight home runs.

In addition to playing at third base in Boston, Mayer could see action at second as Kristian Campbell is a possible fill-in for the injured Triston Casas at first.

–Field Level Media

Sox Officially Ink Bregman

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FT MYERS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – After a few days of speculation, the Boston Red Sox today signed infielder Alex Bregman to a three-year MLB contract through the 2027 season. He will wear No. 2. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston placed left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval on the 60-Day Injured List. 

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Bregman, 30, is a two-time All-Star (2018-19), two-time World Series Champion (2017, 2022), and winner of the 2019 Silver Slugger Award and 2024 Gold Glove Award at third base. He has earned American League Most Valuable Player votes in four seasons (2018-19, 2022-23), finishing second in 2019 and fifth in 2018, and was named Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP in 2018. The right-handed hitter has batted .272 (1,132-for-4,157) with an .849 OPS, 694 runs scored, 265 doubles, 18 triples, 191 home runs, and 663 RBI in 1,111 career games with the Houston Astros (2016-24). Selected by Houston in the first round (No. 2 overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, he has made 977 career starts at third base, 107 at shortstop, 13 as the designated hitter, and two at second base.

In 145 games during 2024, Bregman batted .260 (151-for-581) with 30 doubles, two triples, and 26 home runs while making 142 starts at third base and three as the designated hitter. It marked his fifth season with as many as 30 doubles (also 2017-19, 2022) and his fourth season with 25 or more home runs (also 2018-19, 2023). From May 9 through the end of the season, he batted .280 (127-for-454) with 25 doubles, 25 home runs, and an .838 OPS in 112 games.

The two-time World Series Champion has played in the Postseason in each of his eight full Major League seasons (2017-24), tied for the longest current streak in the Majors. In those eight seasons, he has reached the American League Championship Series seven times and the World Series four times. Since his debut in 2016, his 99 Postseason games are tied for most in the Majors. In that span, he ranks second in runs scored (63) and extra-base hits (37), and tied for second in home runs (19) and RBI (54).

Bregman owns the highest OPS (1.240) of any player with at least 75 career plate appearances at Fenway Park and ranks second in on-base percentage (.490), trailing only Ted Williams (.496). In 21 games at the ballpark, Bregman has hit .375 (30-for-80) with 24 runs scored, nine doubles, and seven home runs. The New Mexico native was selected by the Red Sox out of Albuquerque Academy High School in the 29th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign and attended Louisiana State University.

Along with his wife, Reagan, Alex founded the Bregman Cares Charity to accelerate life-changing resources to those in need. The foundation has focused on autism awareness and at-risk youth, raising two million dollars. He was named the Astros’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee three times (2019-21).

Sandoval, 28, was signed by Boston to a two-year contract on December 23, 2024. The left-hander made 16 starts for the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 26. Originally selected by the Houston Astros in the 11th round of the First-Year Player Draft, the California native has posted a 4.01 ERA (239 ER/536.0 IP) with 529 strikeouts in 107 career Major League games (100 starts) with the Angels (2019-24).