Will Middlebrooks last played for the Red Sox on Aug. 10. The young third baseman broke his wrist that game and has seen nothing but the bench since.
On Saturday, Middlebrooks took his first swings off a tee since the injury.
With only four games left in the Red Sox' season, Middlebrooks will certainly not return, but the Boston Globe's Peter Abraham notes that Boston wants to make sure the 24-year-old is healthy enough to continue his offseason rehab.
Ever since Middlebrooks' call-up on May 2, all he did was hit. In 75 games, the Texas native batted .288, cranked 15 home runs and drove in 54 RBIs.
As Boston looks to the 2013 campaign, Middlebrooks is one of the key components to the rebuilding project, and it makes sense for the team to take extra precaution with its stud slugger.
To hear Abraham's take on Middlebrooks and his rehab, watch the video above.