Alex Bregman's Return Has Unfortunate Consequences For Red Sox Speedster

Only so many spots on the roster.

Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Alex Bregman appears set to return to the active roster for the Boston Red Sox, which is great news for the entire organization.

Well, perhaps except for one player, because to make room for Bregman on the active roster, someone had to be sent down to Triple-A.

There were a few candidates to go to Worcester, but the Red Sox wound up choosing speedy second baseman David Hamilton, who had been in the major leagues all season, albeit in a bench role. Chris Cotillo of MassLive was the first to report the decision.

Hamilton, 27, appeared in 62 of the Red Sox's first 95 games, with just 35 starts. He slashed .176/.229/.296--a major step back from his 2024 campaign, in which he looked like a viable starting second baseman and stole 33 bases in just 98 games.

Hamilton's demotion is significant for Marcelo Mayer in particular. The 22-year-old rookie infielder had been starting against right-handed pitchers at third base with Bregman out, but the three-time All-Star's return means Mayer has to find his playing time elsewhere.

It appears Mayer will now get the bulk of his starts at second base against righties. He's a natural shortstop, but has yet to start a game there in the majors due to the presence of veteran Trevor Story.

The hitting was definitely the main factor costing Hamilton his roster spot. You generally can't justify putting a batter in the lineup if they're giving you next to nothing offensively. But he provided a steady hand on defense late in games, and his speed was something of a cheat code (15 steals in 18 attempts this season).

But with Bregman joining Masataka Yoshida on the list of notable returns to action, the Red Sox lineup now looks as complete as it has all season. There wasn't really a place for Hamilton, who now must prove in Worcester that he can still play an important role on this team moving forward.