Kyle Schwarber received a warm welcome from his former team on Friday when the Boston Red Sox traveled to face the Washington Nationals.
Schwarber, in his first appearance at Nationals Park since he was dealt from Washington to Boston at the trade deadline, was recognized with a highlight montage that played on the outfield video board before first pitch.
Then, when he came to the plate in the top of the first inning, Schwarber received a standing ovation from fans in attendance.
It wasn't a spectacular first at-bat, as Schwarber hit a foul ball that was caught by first baseman Josh Bell for the out, but it still had to be a special moment for the slugger. The longtime Chicago Cub appeared in 72 games for the Nationals in the first half of 2021, where he was hitting what at that point was a career-high .253.
He continued that success in Boston. Through 38 games entering Friday, Schwarber was hitting .296 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.