On Monday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told the media at Yankee Stadium that third baseman Alex Bregman had been sick and away from the team for two days, saying the two-time World Series champion traveled separately to New York for their Wild Card Series with the Yankees (94-68).
On Tuesday morning, Breslow assured The Greg Hill Show that Bregman will be a full-go for game one on Tuesday night.
“How is the health of Alex Bregman?” asked WEEI’s Greg Hill.
“I can say [he’s] good, outside of probably guys joking around and keeping extra distance from him yesterday,” said Breslow. “He was at the workout, moving around really well. [He] feels good, so don't anticipate any issues there.”
In his first season with the Red Sox (89-73), Bregman helped propel his new team to their first playoff appearance since 2021 - a year that ended with Boston losing in the ALCS at the hands of Bregman while still a member of the Astros.
This time around, Houston (87-75) has missed the postseason for the first time since 2016, while Bregman is on his way to a ninth consecutive playoff berth.
From the minute he signed his three-year, $120 million deal with Boston this February, stories of Bregman’s leadership immediately began to trickle out through the media. Whether it was being a resource for young hitters while he was out with a quad injury for part of the season, or it was helping the pitching staff identify pitch-tipping issues, his championship mettle has been both obvious and abundant.
The guy is a natural born leader, and it’s those intangibles that make his All-Star-level of play (.273/.360/.462) that much more impactful.
“Is this why you brought Bregman here, games like tonight and tomorrow, for what he's been able to do at this time of year?” WEEI’s Chris Curtis asked Breslow.
“I think we're all aware of the postseason track record and nine consecutive seasons of making it into the postseason,” said Breslow. “So there's a calming presence that he brings, knowing that he's been through this before, he knows what it takes to win.
“And that's not to minimize the contributions that he's made all season long, but we have a new season that starts tonight.”
Red Sox. Yankees. Postseason baseball.
It just feels right, doesn’t it?
For game one, per OddsTrader, Boston is a +114 underdog at FanDuel and +115 at BetMGM. On the series, FanDuel has them as a +150 dog while BetMGM has them at +140. All these plus odds despite going 9-4 against New York during the 2025 regular season, which includes a 5-2 record for Boston while visiting the Bronx.
But, as we all know, the postseason is a different animal.
And you can hear the only local call of all the October action right here on WEEI, with first pitch on Tuesday set for 6:08 p.m. ET.
Horse vs. horse on the mound for game one, as Garrett Crochet (18-5, 2.59 ERA) squares up with Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA).
Strap in.
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