GOOD NEWS: Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu Is Back And Ready For Opening Day

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu says he feels fully recovered and is eager to return to action as he awaits final medical clearance.

“I feel great. I’ve been doing everything I need to, and things are going well,” Abreu said through interpreter Daveson Perez. “Now, I’m just waiting on the test results so I can get back out there.”

Abreu has missed the first month of spring training due to a viral gastrointestinal illness that first sidelined him in mid-February. After his diagnosis, the team shut him down immediately, but he started feeling better by the end of the month. Over the past two weeks, he has been training to regain his form.

The Gold Glove-winning outfielder underwent another round of medical tests earlier this week. If the results come back clear, he will be approved to return to game action. However, with Opening Day just two weeks away, his preparation time is limited.

Despite the setback, Abreu remains confident he’ll be ready when the Red Sox begin their season against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

“I believe so. I still have time, and I feel 100% right now,” he said. “Once I get the green light, I’ll try to get as many at-bats as possible, whether that’s in major league camp or minor league games, to get up to speed.”

Abreu is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he won a Gold Glove, becoming the first Red Sox rookie to do so since Fred Lynn in 1975. He finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .253 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, a .781 OPS, and 3.4 wins above replacement.