Slugger Wilyer Abreu Nearing Return To Red Sox Lineup

Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu's rapid progress in his rehab has made him hopeful for a return to the team in the near future.

After sustaining a right ankle sprain from tripping down the dugout on June 2 against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park, Abreu was quickly put on the injured list on June 3.

According to manager Alex Cora, Abreu is progressing rapidly. The right fielder began sprinting on Saturday and also started changing directions on Wednesday.

"I didn’t think that it was anything serious," Abreu said on Wednesday via translator, as reported by The Boston Globe. "Obviously you need to give it some time to heal. But from the beginning, I never thought it would be, like, four weeks. Hopefully, within the next few days I’m going to start running the bases."

While Abreu still needs time for his ankle to fully heal, he is hopeful to be back soon.

"Accidents happen," Abreu said. "Obviously, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was stepping. But those things happen. I’m just hoping I get back as soon as possible and like I never left."

Before his injury, Abreu was a bright spot in the Red Sox lineup. He was batting .272 with a .344 OPS. Through 53 games, Abreu gathered six home runs, 19 walks and 22 RBIs.