Red Sox's Alex Bregman to Return From Quad Injury 'This Weekend,' Alex Cora Says

Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman is set to return "this weekend," manager Alex Cora said, just ahead of the MLB All-Star break.

"He's gonna hit, take grounders, then we'll decide what we do," Cora told reporters "He'll play this weekend."

Bregman went through a full workout ahead of the Red Sox’s Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays, per Cora.

Bregman has been sidelined since May 24 with a strained right quad, as Marcelo Mayer stepped in to replace him and has done a fantastic job in the defensive role. With Bregman’s return, Mayer is expected to shift to second base.

Boston has been eagerly awaiting Bregman’s return. Before the injury, he was having a standout season, batting .299 with 35 RBIs, 11 home runs and a .938 OPS over 51 games.

"He's in a great place and we're going to trust the player," manager Alex Cora told reporters. "... My biggest concern is the defensive part of it: the nine innings out there, going into the dugout, going back and forth, the pop-up down the line, the bunts and all that, but he has checked almost every box."

"... You gain, I don't know, five, six or seven at-bats [in a rehab assignment], so why not get them here?"

Bregman is set to return to the lineup as the Red Sox enter their final three games before the All-Star break, with his first appearance expected as soon as Friday.

Boston is coming off back-to-back series sweeps against Colorado and Washington, and will look to carry that momentum into its series against Tampa Bay — now with Bregman back on the active roster.