Red Sox 25-Year-Old Receives Big Update With Opening Day In Sight

Will the young slugger be ready for Opening Day?

Sep 24, 2008; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox seats are empty as warm ups begin before the start of the game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox haven't been at full strength for much of Spring Training but things are starting to trend in the right direction.

Boston has been dealing with some injuries and illnesses. Wilyer Abreu is someone who specifically has been shelved. He hasn't appeared in any Spring Training action to this point but is making a lot of progress. Abreu was dealing with a gastrointestinal illness that took him out of baseball activities and led to weight loss.

After some time away, he recently was cleared for baseball activities and already is making progress, according to manager Alex Cora and transcribed by MLB.com's Ian Browne.

"On Wilyer Abreu, from Alex Cora: 'Swinging already. He's up to 40 swings, I think it is. And then he's playing catch today. So little by little, he's getting there.' Opening Day readiness? 'We’ll see where he is physically. We can help him with at-bats, with Trajekt and Minor League at-bats and all that. I think the physical part of it, he lost a little bit, lost some mass, hopefully he can regain that and be ready.'"

This is as positive of an update as you could probably hope for about the 25-year-old outfielder. He had a phenomenal rookie year in 2024 and is expected to play a large role with the team once again despite trade rumors all offseason.

As a rookie, Abreu slashed .253/.322/.459 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. Hopefully, he's able to get back on track and be ready for Opening Day or at least close to it.

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