Two years ago at this time, Brock Holt played nearly every day for the Boston Red Sox while preparing for the All-Star game in Cincinnati.
Wednesday night, Holt jogged out to third base at Hadlock Field, taking warm-up grounders before the Portland Sea Dogs’ game … and happy to be in uniform.
“Getting back into games is a good feeling,” Holt said.
Holt, 29, is back in Portland on another rehab assignment as he tries to come back from a diagnosis of vertigo earlier this season.
This isn’t a recovery from a broken bone or sprained muscle.
“There’s no blueprint (for recovery),” Holt said. “It’s taken a long time. Frustrating to go through. I’m feeling better now and hopefully I can put it in the past.”
Holt, Boston’s “super-utility” player since 2014, has played only six games for Boston this year, all in April, going 2 for 15.
But Holt – who has had two concussions (2014 and last year) – didn’t feel right.
“I don’t know (if it’s related to the concussions),” Holt said. “There are similar symptoms that I’ve had in the past with my concussions.
Red Sox infielder Brock Holt, who is playing for the Sea Dogs while he rehabilitates from an injury, warms up with teammates.
“Just vision problems and dizziness prevented me from doing what I was supposed to do on the field.”
What Holt does is a little of everything, having played every position but pitcher and catcher for the Red Sox. He turned out to be quite a bargain, considering he was a throw-in minor leaguer in a trade with the Pirates in December 2012 to acquire closer Joel Hanrahan.
Holt spent much of 2013 in Pawtucket but became a Boston regular in 2014, reaching the All-Star Game the next year.
His second concussion, suffered when he dove for a ball in May 2016, limited him to 94 games.
If Holt was healthy this season, he likely would have played a lot of third base in place of the oft-injured and ineffective Pablo Sandoval.
Instead a committee has played third, from Marco Hernandez and Josh Rutledge (now both injured) to the current Deven Marrero and Tzu-Wei Lin.
It’s not like Holt hasn’t tried to get back to the big leagues, but he probably tried too hard.
His first rehab assignment lasted three days, April 28-30 before Holt had to stop playing.
Brock Holt singles against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
He came back quickly, starting a rehab in Portland on May 6 (going 1 for 3) before heading to Pawtucket. But after a game on May 21, the Red Sox shut Holt down again.
“I got into some rehab games and didn’t feel well,” Holt said. “When I was playing in Pawtucket and here, I was so worried about getting back fast.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and that just kind of amplified things. Playing in games wasn’t helping me at all.”
After consulting with his specialist, Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh, Holt decided to stop playing indefinitely while still traveling with the team. It proved therapeutic.
“Being with the team and being around the guys was good,” he said. “I was able to get my work in and focus on what I’m supposed to do – my rehab.
“It settled things down a lot.”
Slowly, Holt began baseball activity. First he would stand in during a pitcher’s bullpen session, getting used to tracking the ball. Then he took live batting practice.
“I felt good,” he said. “Me, the training staff and Dr. Collins thought it was time to start playing some games again.”
Holt played three games in Pawtucket last weekend (3 for 10 with a home run).
When the PawSox went to Rochester, Holt opted to come to Portland. He will be here through Friday, then rejoin Pawtucket when it returns home this weekend.
On Wednesday, Holt played third base and batted three times. He was 1 for 3 with a flyout, groundout and line single to left. As scheduled, Holt left after the seventh inning.
The Red Sox will be cautious with Holt. Athletes have recovered from vertigo but not all, including Nick Esasky, who hit 30 home runs in his one season with Boston in 1989. He signed as a free agent with Atlanta in 1990. After nine games with the Braves, Esasky was diagnosed with vertigo and never played in the majors again.
Holt appears on the mend.
“Hopefully things go well, I feel good and we can put this thing behind me,” he said.
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @ClearTheBases
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