Pablo Reyes proving his worth down the stretch for Red Sox

Every time something's stood in Pablo Reyes' way this season, it hasn't mattered.

The journeyman was hardly a consideration in the big leagues mere months ago, coming off just six games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022 and failing to make it with the lowly Oakland Athletics out of spring training.

The 29-year-old wasn't even an everyday player with the Las Vegas Aces, Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, suiting up in 21 of a possible 35 games before the Red Sox acquired him for cash on May 12. 

But with Boston came opportunity, which is apparently all Reyes needed after spending the last few years riding the Merloni Shuttle to and from the Brewers and their minor league affiliates. The Sox, desperately in need of help in the middle infield at the time with Kiké Hernández struggling and Trevor Story and Yu Chang on the shelf, threw Reyes to the wolves almost immediately upon his arrival. That proved to be no issue as he hit .421 with a .450 OBP and .579 slugging for a 1.029 OPS in his first five games with the club. 

Fast forward to August, after the Red Sox stuck by him during a month's long absence due to an abdominal injury, and Reyes has carved out an everyday role in the middle of a Wild Card race, patrolling the middle infield alongside Story after beating out Chang and Christian Arroyo. 

"Confidence," Alex Cora told reporters following Boston's 6-2 loss in Washington of what has unlocked Reyes of late. "We gave him the chance to play. We were very patient when he got hurt. He stayed with us and stayed with the program. He got healthy. ... He's taking it and running away with it."

Their patience has paid off. 

In 14 games since his reinstatement from the injured list, Reyes holds a .350 average, scoring seven runs and driving in six in that span. 

"I mean, he's been playing great," James Paxton told reporters. "He's been super hot for us. You know, he's good in the field. Good in the box. Taking really good at-bats. Just a good sparkplug for the team right now."

The last nine days have been something of a fever dream for Reyes.

He practically saved Boston's season when he laced a walk-off grand slam off the left-field pole at Fenway, capping off a 3-for-4 (3 R, 4 RBI) night, as the Sox came off a crushing sweep to the Blue Jays at home. Two games later he hit 3-for-3 before back-to-back 2-for-4 outings to start the weekend. 

Through two games against the Nationals this week, Reyes has been Boston's main offensive catalyst. He took off for home and squeezed in safely on a wild pitch for the game-winning run in a 2-for-4 night on Tuesday. He was one of the lone bright spots in a sluggish loss for the Sox on Wednesday, blasting a two-run, 107.8-mile-per-hour dinger to left to briefly give his team life.