For Boston Red Sox’s Wilyer Abreu, the past few weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind. Just as he was working his way back into health, life threw him another major event. One no training could have prepped him for— and that’s fatherhood!
On Sunday, the Boston Red Sox outfielder and his wife welcomed their two boys, Noah and Noe, into the world. And that’s double the happiness. But while most new fathers would take time to settle into the role and reality, Abreu wasted no time getting back to what he knows best—baseball.
Ian Browne reported on X that the 25-year-old new dad was spotted in the lineup! That’s less than 24 hours after the birth of the twins. But he suited up for the Boston Grapefruit League matchup against the Baltimore Orioles.
Wilyer Abreu’s wife delivered twins yesterday in Florida. Noah and Noe. Dad is in today’s lineup.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 17, 2025
Abreu however is grateful for the coming of his children saying, “It’s incredibly beautiful, to be able to have that experience with my family and share that with them. But also share the experience with my baseball family. It’s something that’s really cool.” His decision to return so quickly to the game wasn’t selfish or just his love for baseball, it was because he was in a rare circumstance, and was in the position to balance both roles as a father and a player perfectly.
Well, his family is staying in Fort Myers itself, and he found himself in a good position to be there for his wife and newborn sons and even be there for the spring training. Talking about it, Abreu said, “My family’s all here. That’s why I was able to come back (to the team) and continue my work. I don’t want to fall behind. And it’s perfect because when practice is over or the game is over, I can just go home and be there with my family and get the best of both worlds.”
While the birth of his twins has been a highlight, Wilyer Abreu’s year honestly hasn’t been easy. At the start of the spring training, he was sidelined due to a gastrointestinal virus. His illness kept him off the field, and this isn’t great news for the person wanting to seal their seat in the opening day lineup. And given his concern and lost time, his making it to the roster was questionable.
But he finally cleared it out—he is going to be there!
Wilyer Abreu locked in for Opening Day for Boston Red Sox
Abreu made it clear to MassLive, “I expect to be ready for Opening Day.” The Boston Red Sox star cleared all the doubts regarding his return with this. The team, of course, had to wait for a series of tests to clear him to be back into the baseball activities. But now that he is back, he is wasting no time getting up to speed. Manager Alex Cora isn’t going in easy on him though.
Alex Cora put Abreu right to the test, slotting him into the minor league game on Friday and placing him in the lineup playing against the Atlanta Braves. “(Facing) Chris Sale. You want to play? There you go,” joked Cora. But despite everything, he is confident in Abreu’s ability and his readiness. “Honestly, he didn’t lose too much. It looked that way, but he feels stronger. The numbers back that up.”
However, it will take some time for Abreu’s bat to catch on. He went 0-for-2 in his first game back. But that isn’t a huge concern. The one thing that matters is his defense, and Abreu is already in a good spot. He after all is the reigning Gold Glove winner. He is to be taking over the right field and will join Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela.
Now with six more games left in spring training, he still has some time to find his rhythm. He has until March 27, and then he will face the Texas Rangers. Do you think he will be in his element? Let us know!
The post Red Sox’s 25YO Ace Puts Dad Duties on Hold, Makes Swift Return to Action Just a Day After Welcoming Twins appeared first on EssentiallySports.