UPDATE: Alex Bregman left today’s game with right quad tightness.
A positive moment for the Red Sox quickly turned sour in Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader versus the Orioles. After lacing a single in the fifth inning, Alex Bregman appeared to injure something in his lower-half rounding first base. He immediately signaled to the dugout to be removed from the contest. Abraham Toro pinch ran for Bregman, then moved to first base in the top of the sixth. Nick Sogard switched to third.
Any extended Bregman absence would be a killer for the Red Sox, who are already missing Triston Casas for the remainder of the season — due to an injury also suffered while running to first. A free agent offseason addition that many whispered was an overpay, Bregman has been one of the best assets in the AL so far this season, entering play on Friday with a 2.4 fWAR that’s the 10th-best mark in baseball among position players. He was also slashing .297/.381/.554 with a 158 wRC+.
On the DraftKings Sportsbook, Bregman currently owns the third-lowest odds to win American League MVP, though he and everyone else is trailing Aaron Judge by quite the hilarious margin.
It is currently unclear if Bregman will be in Boston’s lineup for Game 2, though it feels unlikely.
