Alex Bregman has been on the shelf for over six weeks, and his absence has created a flurry of rumors regarding his future with the Boston Red Sox.
Will he be traded at or before the July 31 deadline? Will Boston extend him for the foreseeable future? Will Bregman play out the string for the remainder of the season and then be forced to either opt into or out of his current deal?
Regardless of what his fate may be, there's some good news regarding Bregman that Red Sox fans will be thrilled to hear: the third baseman is likely going to be activated from the injured list this weekend.
Cora says Bregman will likely be activated this weekend. They feel comfortable with the work he’s put in without a rehab assignment.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) July 9, 2025
While it's a promising sign that he may get some game action in versus the Rays prior to the All-Star break, it does make for an interesting question: why is the 2025 All-Star not heading to Atlanta with Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman?
Alex Bregman will not play in All-Star Game despite improving status
Speaking with MassLive's Sean McAdam, Bregman called the All-Star nod, the third of his career and first since 2019, a huge honor, though he won't be ready to participate so shortly after returning from his injured list stay.
“I don’t think so,” he said, per McAdam. “Maybe I’ll be fortunate enough to take my son to the Home Run Derby or something. But for me, with the timing of everything, I think what I need to is hopefully be back playing by the end of this week and use the All-Star break to continue to build up and work on my leg and make sure we just continue the progression the right way."
While it's disappointing to hear that the 31-year-old won't participate in the Midsummer Classic, it's probably for the best. Bregman has been out since May 24 with a quad strain, and he isn't heading out on a rehab assignment to get back up to speed. Playing in the All-Star Game, even if only for a few innings, could prove too demanding as he works to rebuild his stamina and game-to-game consistency.
Nevertheless, that Bregman got the nod at all from his fellow players is a testament to the brilliant season he was having prior to getting injured. In just 51 games, he accrued 2.9 bWAR while slashing .299/.385/.553 and playing strong defense at the hot corner.
Despite missing nearly half of the season to this point, Bregman ranks fourth on the Red Sox in home runs (11), fifth in RBIs (35), and first in OPS (.938). He is a deserving All-Star, even if he'll have to miss the event to focus on his health.