The Boston Red Sox are getting one of their best bats back in the lineup for their series opener against the Miami Marlins. Alex Verdugo was reinstated from the bereavement list on Tuesday after missing four games. The Red Sox went 1-3 without him.

Verdugo was red-hot before stepping away from the team and is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak. He has seven multi-hit games during the streak and six extra-base hits. Overall this season he is hitting .303 with 24 doubles, 31 RBIs and 51 runs scored.

The Red Sox will certainly welcome Verdugo's bat back after Boston's offense faltered without him, averaging two runs a game in the four games he missed. Boston is 40-39 and in last place in the stacked AL East but sits three games out of a wild card spot as the All-Star break approaches.

In a corresponding move, the Red Sox optioned Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester where he has been tearing the cover off the ball. Dalbec has a 1.052 OPS with 18 home runs, nine doubles and 42 RBIs in 54 games with Worcester this season. His skills at the plate haven’t yet translated in the big leagues however as he has a .231 career batting average in 283 games with the Red Sox.

Alex Verdugo was the only major league-ready player the Red Sox received in the Mookie Betts trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2020 and has been one of Boston's best players since. He isn’t Betts, but Red Sox fans have to applaud the effort that Verdugo has given them since he joined the team. He's in line for a nice extension in the near future as Boston has one year of control left before he is eligible for free agency after the 2024 season.