HOUSTON — Former Astros star Alex Bregman didn’t waste any time.
The third baseman tipped his helmet to the crowd before his first at-bat as Astros fans welcomed him back to Houston for the first time since he signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox in February.
Three pitches later, he crushed a home run over the wall in left field to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Rookie Roman Anthony scored on the blast after singling to lead off the game.
Bregman’s home run, his 15th this season, went 350 feet with a 95.5 mph exit velocity. The towering shot had a 35-degree launch angle, coming on an 80.8 mph sweeper from Astros righty Cristian Javier, who is making his first start back after a lengthy rehab from Tommy John surgery.
See a video of the home run here.
The 31-year-old, who Houston selected second overall in the 2015 draft, also received a video tribute and standing ovation before the game.
He appeared in 1,111 games for Houston from 2016-24, batting .272 with a .366 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage, .848 OPS, 191 home runs, 265 doubles, 18 triples and 663 RBIs. He helped the Astros win World Series titles in 2017 and ‘22.
His contract with the Red Sox includes opt outs after both 2025 and 2026. He’s batting .301 with a .925 OPS.
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