After he posted the first-ever 5-for-5 performance of his career, Alex Bregman will briefly depart the Boston Red Sox.
The third baseman slugged two homers and a double and plated four runs the night before the birth of his second child. Bregman will return to Boston to be with his wife and will miss the Sox's series finale against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field. He's only expected to miss one game, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
The Red Sox have called Nick Sogard to fill Bregman's spot on the roster. The 27-year-old infielder posted a solid spring training (.250/.339/.442 in 30 games), but he's faltered a bit at the plate since his arrival in Worcester. Sogard is batting .159/.275/.205 with 13 strikeouts and seven walks in 12 games.
Sogard appeared in 31 games for the Red Sox last season and had solid success at the plate. He slashed .273/.326/.325 with four doubles, three stolen bases, 25 strikeouts and seven walks. While Sogard has proven he can hit in the major leagues, Boston already has a capable third baseman on the roster.
Red Sox call Nick Sogard up to play third base while Alex Bregman is on paternity leave, keep Rafael Devers in the DH slot and Vaughn Grissom in the minor leagues
Bregman will be gone for just one game and the Red Sox won't give Rafael Devers a start at third base, according to Cotillo. Manager Alex Cora was adamant before the season that Devers would not play third base this year, as the Red Sox need him to fully adjust to the designated hitter role.
Devers isn't there yet, as he's batting just .222/.329/.347 with 28 strikeouts in 19 games. But maybe allowing him to take up his old position and step back into the only routine he's ever known as a professional baseball player would allow him to find himself at the plate.
The Red Sox also could've called up another streaking infielder for the job. Vaughn Grissom has been on a tear in the minor leagues, batting .340/.400/.520 with a .920 OPS in 13 games. Sogard still might make more sense for the Red Sox at the moment, though — Grissom has appeared in just one game at third base in the minor leagues, while Sogard has experience all over the infield, and sloppy defense has remained a huge problem for Boston.
Sogard's stint with the Red Sox will likely be short, since they're off on April 17 and Bregman is only expected to miss one game. Sogard is versatile enough that the Sox could summon him to fill in across the infield, and this probably won't be the last time we see him in the big leagues this year.