Red Sox Make Superstar's Return Official In Flurry Of Roster Moves

It's a busy Friday at Fenway Park, and also a very exciting one.

Boston Red Sox fans have been waiting all season for this team to feel whole. But there have been injury hiccups along the way, top prospects needed to be called up, and of course, the Rafael Devers trade threw a major wrench into everything.

However, Friday's roster announcements have brought us about as close as we've been all season to that Platonic ideal of a Red Sox roster.

The headliner is the return of Alex Bregman, Boston's superstar third baseman who missed the last 43 games due to a right quad strain. Bregman will bat third and play third base on Friday night, his first action since being named an American League All-Star for the third time.

Hunter Dobbins was also activated from the injured list, as he was long expected to be the starter for Friday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. Dobbins last pitched in the majors on Jun. 20 against the San Francisco Giants.

As the corresponding moves, infielder David Hamilton and relief pitcher Isaiah Campbell were optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Campbell was expected to head back shortly after making only one appearance for the big-league club, but Hamilton's demotion was newsworthy in that he has been in the majors full-time since Apr. 6, 2024.

Boston managed to go 24-19 without Bregman, mainly due to their current seven-game winning streak. They're now 50-45, only half a game behind the Rays for the second AL Wild Card spot. They trail the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays by five games in the division.

Bregman put up an impressive .938 OPS in his first 51 games in Boston, and he instantly becomes the biggest bat in the lineup with Devers gone. He can opt out of the final two years of his contract and pursue free agency this winter, so a potential extension will be a major story to watch the rest of the way.

It may not be a perfect roster, but it's the best the Red Sox can roll out for now. They'll look to win this four-game series against the Rays and keep building their momentum heading into the All-Star break.