The Boston Red Sox will play the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon in their final game before the trade deadline. Boston is off on Thursday, which leaves fans to sit and refresh their news feeds in anticipation of any trades.
Before the series finale against the Twins, the Red Sox gave their fans a bit of a scare. Alex Bregman was scratched from the July 30 lineup a few hours before first pitch, which sent minds spiraling in a few different directions.
Some fans wondered if Bregman is injured again. The third baseman came off the injured list on July 11 after he was sidelined for nearly two months with a quad strain. Boston's bats faltered early in his absence, but they eventually broke out and went into the All-Star break on a 10-game winning streak.
Another, even more frightening possibility came to mind — that Bregman may be traded. The third baseman signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox before the 2025 season, but the deal contains opt-outs after the first two years. If Boston is afraid Bregman might walk after this season, it could opt to trade him at the deadline instead of seeing him go for no return.
Red Sox scare fans by scratching Alex Bregman from lineup hours before trade deadline
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— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 30, 2025
Anthony LF
Toro 3B
Duran CF
Story SS
Abreu RF
Gonzalez 1B
Yoshida DH
Rafaela 2B
Wong C
Bello P
Luckily, Bregman doesn't seem to be in line for a trade. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox discussed giving Bregman the day off on Tuesday night so he could have two consecutive rest days. After his activation from his quad injury, Bregman played two of three games in his first three series back in action. He played five days in a row from July 25-29, so the Sox will give him extra rest.
In the immediate wake of the Rafael Devers trade, while the Red Sox were slumping, some reporters theorized that they may opt to trade Bregman to ensure they get a return for him. The veteran has since said that he'd be open to an extension with the Red Sox, and Boston's front office has said it won't trade him this season.
Abraham Toro will play third base and bat second on Wednesday in Bregman's stead, and Connor Wong will be behind the plate. Neither player is hitting particularly well at the moment (Wong has struggled all season long), but the Red Sox have Brayan Bello on the mound to keep the wheels on while Bregman and Carlos Narváez are out of the lineup.