The Red Sox are filling a temporary void at third base as Alex Bregman steps away for the birth of his second child, but it won’t be Rafael Devers. Devers has played 951 career games at third for Boston, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever get a 952nd chance.
Utilityman Nick Sogard has been called up from Triple-A Worcester to replace Bregman on the active roster for Wednesday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, multiple sources confirmed late Tuesday. Sogard is already on the 40-man roster and figures to be in the mix to start at third base against the Rays’ righty Zack Littell.
Bregman, fresh off a five-hit performance Tuesday night, is expected to miss just one game. The Red Sox are off Thursday before opening a homestand Friday against the Chicago White Sox.
Devers remains off-limits defensively—even in an emergency—after being moved off third base during spring training and installed as the team’s everyday DH. Manager Alex Cora made that clear on Opening Day and has stuck to it, despite Devers continuing to take occasional grounders pregame.
Cora’s refusal to play Devers defensively leaves Sogard and Romy Gonzalez as the only active options to cover third. Sogard, 27, has bounced around the infield for the WooSox this season—seeing time at short, second, third, and even right field. But while his versatility is useful, his bat has been silent. He’s hitting just .159 with a .479 OPS over 21 games in Triple-A.
As he recovers from a groin strain, Vaughn Grissom is not yet ready to play on the field, splitting time at second base and primarily serving as DH for the WooSox. Vaughn is seen as a long-term utility solution, and the club doesn’t want to wreck his progress with such a short cameo. With no other infielders on the 40-man roster, Sogard was the most logical choice. Last season, Sogard played in 31 games for Boston, hitting .273 with four doubles and eight RBIs.
It may just be a one-day cameo, but for now, he’s the stopgap.
Red Sox Refuse to Use Devers at 3B, Make Unexpected Call Up