Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Alex Bregman Injury Update: What Happened to the Red Sox’s $120M Star?

Red Sox lose their most reliable hitter.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Alex Bregman’s first season in Boston has been everything the Red Sox could’ve hoped for, until now. The $120 million third baseman has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right quad, a blow that manager Alex Cora didn’t sugarcoat.

Alex Cora told reporters that Alex Bregman is "going to be out for a while, very similar to ’21.”

Bregman missed a little over two months with a strained quad that season. pic.twitter.com/NcVO9aXurl
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 24, 2025

“It’s a significant injury,” Cora said between games of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Orioles. “Very similar to 2021. He’s going to be out for a while.”

That 2021 reference wasn’t encouraging. Back then, Bregman missed roughly two and a half months with a similar quad issue, albeit on his left side, during his time with the Astros. He’s now dealing with a strain in the other leg, and both the player and the team are bracing for another lengthy rehab process.

“It felt better [Friday],” Bregman said. “Then Friday night I couldn’t really fall asleep. It started to hurt pretty good, and then after the MRI, found out it was pretty severely strained. Now it’s time to focus on rehab. There’s nothing else to do besides try and get better every single day.”

Alex Bregman was visibly upset giving an update on his injury 💔

"Pretty severe right quad strain. Pretty similar to '21." pic.twitter.com/JxWL2FCHuQ
— NESN (@NESN) May 24, 2025

Bregman initially tweaked the quad during Friday’s 19–5 win over Baltimore, signaling to the dugout after rounding first base on a single to left field. Nick Sogard shifted from first base to cover third and started there again in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Red Sox officially made the roster move after their walk-off 6–5 win in Game 1. In a series of corresponding decisions, Boston recalled Marcelo Mayer, ranked as the team’s No. 2 prospect, from Triple-A Worcester, and transferred Triston Casas to the 60-day IL.

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Mayer made his major league debut in Game 2, starting at third base, moving to shortstop midway, then back to third. He went 0-for-4. Sogard, who opened the day at first base, also saw time at third.

Who Will Replace Alex Bregman at Third Base?

It won’t be Rafael Devers returning to his old position and Cedanne Rafaela would only be a third base option “in case of emergency.”

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That’s no small challenge, especially considering what Bregman has brought to the table. Entering Saturday, he was leading all American League third basemen in slugging (.553), on-base percentage (.385), RBIs (35), and doubles (17). He was tied for first in home runs with 11 and ranked third in batting average at .299.

“Obviously, he’s a big part of our offense,” Cora said. “We just have to find ways to score runs in different ways… Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. That’s the nature of the business.”

UNREAL play by Alex Bregman!
pic.twitter.com/tF2puf6hcu
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) May 10, 2025

Whether that rehab takes weeks or stretches into months, Boston will have to find a way to stay afloat without the one guy who had shown up every day and delivered. For now, the Red Sox wait, adjust, and hope. But losing the one guy they could count on this year might be a turning point in a season that already feels like it’s walking a fine line.

Alex Bregman

Red Sox

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.