BOSTON — Brock Holt’s return was a long time coming.
The Red Sox utility man hit the disabled list with a concussion all the way back on May 19, but he was activated Friday before Boston’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. And Holt was happy the wait finally was over.
“It’s been real frustrating,” Holt said. “It’s been a tough thing to go through just because physically I’ve felt great. I feel like I could’ve played, but just from my neck up, my head, I knew something wasn’t right. It’s frustrating because I didn’t think it’d take as long as it took. Some days I would feel pretty good, and the next day I wouldn’t, so it was a frustrating thing to go through but glad that we got it taken care of.”
While the Red Sox certainly are happy to have Holt back, too, they’re going to take it slow with him. Holt said he still feels some dizziness here and there, and Red Sox manager John Farrell said Friday that the team will be stringent about checking in with Holt.
“He’ll be checked on daily, as every one of our players is,” Farrell said. “The progression that he’s come through, we know that there’s going to be diminishing symptoms as he gets further along. The plan right now would be for him to play (Friday) and Sunday against two right-handers. Beyond that, we’ll continue to monitor on his availability and check in every day.”
Holt is returning to somewhat of a different Red Sox team than he left. Boston shared first place in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles when Holt hit the DL, but the club went 10-16 in June, allowing the O’s to stretch their lead over the second-place Sox to five games. But Holt said nothing has changed in the clubhouse.
“No, not really,” Holt said. “I’ve been around. Since I’ve been hurt, I’ve stuck around, I’ve been in the clubhouse. Everyone’s the same. We’re obviously not playing the way we’re capable of playing, but that’ll turn.”
But either way, the Red Sox simply are glad to take a name off their growing disabled list.
“One of our more instinctual baserunners,” Farrell said of Holt. “He’s demonstrated it repeatedly, puts up quality at-bats, particularly against some right-handed pitching. Plays with high energy. And I think has transitioned pretty seamlessly to the outfield, where he’s become more of a regular guy out there for us. So to get a guy back to us that is familiar with their surroundings, had success here, it’s a positive for us.”
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
