Padres' Don Orsillo, Xander Bogaerts make first return to Boston since leaving Red Sox

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts.

San Diego Padres play-by-play television announcer Don Orsillo and second baseman Xander Bogaerts return to Fenway Park on Friday for the first time since leaving the Boston Red Sox in late 2015 and 2022, respectively.

As Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe noted, Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron is taking the bump for Sunday's contest. While Waldron never pitched for the Red Sox, he got help on his knuckleball from the late, longtime Boston hurler Tim Wakefield, whose primary pitch was the knuckleball.

A Melrose, Massachusetts native, Orsillo was the Red Sox's television voice on the New England Sports Network (NESN) from 2001 to 2015.

The 55-year-old was beloved by Bostonians and developed a close relationship with longtime broadcast partner in Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy. The one-time All-Star and longtime Boston second baseman during the late 1970s and early 1980s worked alongside Orsillo calling Red Sox games for the latter's entire 15-year run in Beantown.

The duo covered the team during their 2004, 2007 and 2013 World Series-winning seasons.

Remy passed away from lung cancer in October 2021.

Though Bogaerts has been on the injured list since late May with a broken left shoulder and won't play this weekend, he'll still be with the Friars as they play in Boston for the first time in 11 seasons.

The 31-year-old spent his entire 10-year career with the Red Sox from 2013 to 2022 before signing an 11-year, $280M contract with San Diego in December 2022.

Bogaerts won five Silver Slugger Awards, was a four-time All-Star and won championships in 2013 and 2018 with Boston.

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