Red Sox dealt another significant blow on injury front

It's not going to get any easier for the battered Red Sox.

Already fighting to stay afloat as a team that's hovered just below, just above, or exactly at .500 this season, Boston's latest blow came with Alex Bregman the latest Red Sox player to go down with an injury.

The injury occurred when Bregman appeared to tweak something as he rounded first base on a fifth-inning single to left field in Friday's 19-5 win over the Orioles at Fenway Park. Bregman immediately knew that something was off, calling for a trainer, and exited the game shortly after calling for help.

A good night's sleep didn't seem to make things better for the 31-year-old's sore quad, either, with Bregman telling Red Sox manager Alex Cora that it was 'worse' and with the Red Sox confirming that Bregman would undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the ailment. Cora also added that a stint on the injured list was likely for the first-year Sox third baseman.

In a season full of issues, Bregman has been a bright spot, with a .299 average, 11 home runs, and 35 RBIs through 51 games this season. Bregman's 17 doubles are the second-most in baseball this season, while his .938 OPS ranks 9th among all hitters and his 3.0 WAR is third in baseball, trailing only the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong (3.3) and the Yankees' Aaron Judge (4.0).

With injuries at both corners, the Red Sox put forth a Saturday afternoon lineup with Abraham Toro at first base and Nick Sogard at third base. And in case you're wondering, the Red Sox have already said that Rafael Devers will not move back to third base, and the growing belief is that the club will call up top prospect Marcelo Mayer and potentially play him at third base.