Three reasons why Alex Bregman's return to the Red Sox lineup is so important

The Boston Red Sox have been somewhat of a mystery the last few seasons in Major League Baseball. The team that owns four World Series championships this century, the most of any franchise, has mostly teetered around the .500 mark for much of the last three seasons. However, things looked up when the team went out this past offseason to acquire starting pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox via trade and Alex Bregman, formerly of the Houston Astros, in free agency.

Bregman immediately fit into Boston's system, and it seemed like he was going to help them make a deep playoff run, the likes of which this fanbase hasn't seen since Fall 2021. Through his first 52 games, Bregman is slashing .299/.383/..935 with 11 home runs and 35 runs driven in. He is also enjoying his second best season in terms of OPS+ at 156, meaning he's been approximately 56% better than the league average hitter.

On May 23 in a blowout 19-5 win against the Baltimore Orioles, Bregman labored on the way to first base, leading to his exit. It was a right quad strain, similar to an injury he suffered in 2021 with Houston.

Since his absence, the Sox looked internally for an identity, especially after trading away franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers to the Giants. The team had struggled to stay afloat, often falling below and rising back above the .500 mark multiple times in Bregman's 42 game absence, in which the team went 23-19.

Now that he's returned to the Red Sox lineup following a 1-4 performance last night against the Rays, how will his return impact the team, which is currently riding an eight-game win streak?

Here's three ways he will do so:

Defensive mishaps

Throughout Bregman's absence from the team, the Sox had struggled to find a consistent replacement at the hot corner for their 31 year-old veteran. Abraham Toro, Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton and Marcelo Mayer all shared time at third base, but it was clear that Bregman's glove was needed back at his position.

After 96 games, the Red Sox rank second in all of MLB in errors with 77, just two behind the league-leading Colorado Rockies and 11 more than the third place team.

Bringing Bregman back into the fold, will immediately help to suppress errors not just at third base, but all throughout the infield. His lifetime fielding percentage of .970 at third base is exactly what the club needs moving forward if they want to clean things up and continue the hot streak they're currently on.

Power at the plate

Not to say that the Boston is necessarily struggling at the plate this season, but Bregman's return is likely going to help them take the next step towards one of the best offenses in the league as guys like Romy Gonzalez and Roman Anthony continue to heat up.

The team ranks eighth in home runs with 121, and Bregman's return is going to help this number increase. He was on pace to mash over 30 home runs before his injury, and with his talent, that's still something that is achievable for the third baseman.

In his absence, the team relied on young players like Mayer, Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela to carry the offense. At first, it looked like the team was in trouble without their veteran, but recently they've proven that with or without Bregman, the team is still going to play nine full innings. With him back in the mix now, pressure will be taken off the younger guys to perform at such a high level just to give the team a chance to win on any given night.

Leading by example on the field

One thing that fans and media alike have loved about Bregman since his arrival to Boston has been his willingness to work with rookies and younger players as a mentor. This has proven huge for guys like Mayer, Anthony and Kristian Campbell, who's still working out some kinks in AAA Worcester.

However, with Bregman being able to actually share the field with those guys for the first time, expect their games to continue to improve, whether it be sharing tips and tricks at the plate or just giving professional advice on how to handle situations as an everyday ballplayer.

Via NBC Sports Boston

"Super special player," Bregman said to NBC Sports Boston, referring to Anthony. "I think he's going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. He's fun to watch and it's been awesome to watch him go about his business. He's the same guy every day when he shows up to the ballpark, whether he's 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. The maturity that he has at his age, it's special, and it's part of the reason why he's so good."

The ability to become more hands on with the younger guys on the team will prove vital in the long run as the Boston looks to march to October with winning on its mind, and Bregman, Mayer, Anthony and others are expected to be big parts of that run.