Alex Bregman wants to save the Red Sox if the team will let him

Alex Bregman, despite missing more than a month, might still be an American League All-Star for the Boston Red Sox. After slashing .299/.385/.553 through his first 51 games with 11 homers and 35 RBI, though, he's been everything that fans could've hoped for and more when healthy. But now in a post-Rafael Devers world in Boston, the Red Sox need Bregman back in the lineup more than ever to save their season and likely avoid selling at the trade deadline. If Bregman has his way, that's exactly what he's ready to do.

With the Red Sox three games under .500, Boston has experienced a near-unanimous offensive shortage without Devers in the lineup. The season is slipping away, but Bregman told insider Rob Bradford of WEEI on Monday ahead of a clash with the Cincinnati Reds that, despite what the team previously said, he could be back on the field before the All-Star break.

Cora echoed how Bregman is feeling when asked as well, saying that the third baseman was talking like a player who feels he's "close to 100 percent". Bregman expressed some unknown in his recovery, specifically regarding if he would need a rehab assignment or not, to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald, but again reiterated that he feels confident that he's close to a return.

"I feel really good. Today was the best I felt during the rehab process... I'm just not sure yet, honestly, if it's gonna entail going on rehab or if it's gonna be kind of simulating the volume here and getting back to playing in big-league games right away."

Unfortunately, Bregman might not have the final say in returning to help save the Red Sox — and the Red Sox themselves might be the ones that stop that from happening.

Alex Bregman thinks he's much closer to returning than the Red Sox do

While every Red Sox fan is hoping that Bregman's word is what actually matters in this situation, it's also impossible to not recognize the juxtaposition of that with Cora and the team's comments at the end of last week. Namely, he resumed baseball activities over the weekend, but the team and the manager expressed that they didn't think the star third baseman would be back before the All-Star break, which begins on Sunday, July 13.

Bregman, obviously, thinks he can return sooner than that. And really, we might be reaching the point where, if he feels confident in that decision, the Red Sox might be forced to agree with him and get their prized free agency signing back into the mix.

The Red Sox have struggled mightily to generate any semblance of consistent offense since trading Devers. There have been some brief flashes, most notably a 15-run outburst against the Blue Jays on Saturday in a victory — but that win was only their win in their last eight games. Even worse, Boston has scored two runs or fewer in four of those seven losses.

There are still reasons to like and believe in this team, without question. Roman Anthony is seemingly starting to come into his own at the plate, due in no small part to finally having some luck go his way instead of against him on batted balls, while Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela have started to heat up.

What Boston has been missing is a bat like Bregman's, though. He's a consistent power bat with veteran experience and the ability to anchor the heart of the order. Anthony will see better pitches with Bregman behind or ahead of him in the lineup. Wilyer Abreu too. And Carlos Narvaez won't be put into less-than-favorable roles for a breakout, yet still developing, rookie. Perhaps just as importantly, it will lessen the need to have players like David Hamilton and Nate Eaton in the lineup.

Bregman needs to come back for the Red Sox to fully give GM Craig Breslow a reason to buy at the trade deadline as he's promised he will after dealing away Devers. He clearly seems to be chomping at the bit to do so. We can only hope that the team allows him to do so. As long as it's not a serious risk for Bregman's health, Boston can't afford to take the overly cautious route at this point.