Sad news out of Red Sox Nation … longtime outfielder Mike Greenwell died on Thursday, the MLB team announced, following a courageous fight with thyroid cancer.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell,” the Sox said on X this afternoon.

“‘The Gator” spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of Fenway and Fort Myers. He gave so much to Lee County and Sox Nation. We send our love to the Greenwell family.”

Greenwell played 12 seasons in the majors — all for the Red Sox — after being selected by the organization in the third round of the 1982 draft. He made his Big League debut in 1985.

After playing sparingly his first few seasons, Greenwell had a fantastic 1988 season, earning his first All-Star nod (he also made the ASG in ’89) and finishing second in the A.L. MVP race behind slugger Jose Canseco … all while securing his role as the team’s left fielder.

Greenwell had 192 hits, 22 home runs, and drove in 119 runs in ’88 … his best season as a pro.

Mike retired in 1996 … after a great career in which he had 1400 hits, 275 doubles, 387 triples, 130 home runs,  and 726 RBIs. He also walked 460 times and had a batting average of .303.

Sadly, in August, Greenwell told a local news station in Florida — where he was living post-baseball career — that he’d been diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer, a rare form of cancer.