Bregman: Ability to play 3B 'fluid' due to lingering elbow issue

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman's availability on defense may be limited down the stretch because of a lingering elbow issue.

"Some little gremlins in there are causing some swelling that I'm just going to have to try to mitigate through the rest of the year and keep the swelling out," Bregman said after Wednesday's game, adding that his ability to play third will "kind of be a fluid situation," according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Bregman missed five games because of swelling in his elbow before returning to Houston's lineup as the designated hitter on Wednesday. He said that while his ulnar collateral ligament isn't damaged, the swelling has yet to go down.

"But it's going to be one of those things to take day by day and see how it feels the rest of the year," he said.

The 30-year-old started throwing again on Wednesday and didn't report any pain while doing so. He also isn't reporting any pain from swinging.

If Bregman needs to DH full time, the Astros would be forced to play Yordan Alvarez in left field on a regular basis. While he's able to hold his own in the outfield, Alvarez's glove is hardly his strong suit, and the Astros' overall defense could take a hit if he's playing more often in the outfield.

Rookie Shay Whitcomb has been starting at third since Bregman first got hurt. Zach Dezenzo is also a candidate for playing time at the hot corner if Bregman's unable to play there.

Bregman continued his remarkable turnaround after a difficult start to his season by crushing his 20th homer during the Astros' 4-1 loss to Boston on Wednesday. The two-time All-Star, who'll be a free agent this winter, is now hitting .261/.318/.450 over 117 games in 2024.