Red Sox first baseman making progress, could begin rehab next week
The Red Sox have not had Triston Casas in their lineup since the end of April. The first baseman has been battling back from the torn cartilage in his ribcage he sustained in the series on the road against the Pirates.
Casas has started to take swings and batting practice at Fenway Park, and the slugger could begin a rehab assignment next week.
“It seems like Casas is getting better,” said Alex Cora. “He hit, over the last two days, (batting practice) inside, so that’s a good sign. Obviously, there’s a few steps left—machine work and Traject, and all that. But it seems like things are trending in the right direction.
“I just talked to Triston, and he feels good—much better than a few weeks ago, which is awesome. I think it’s more about the bouncing back (and recovery) than his actual swing. He’s trending in the right direction.”
Casas was hoping to return to the Red Sox lineup on July 1, but his injury wasn’t fully healed. There was speculation that the Miami native could be back in early September, but after a full week of swinging, Casas seems to be progressing better than expected.
“He’s feeling good, taking swings at low intensity,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “Our hope, our expectation, is (that he might be ready to begin an assignment in another week or so). Fortunately, there are technologies that allow us to accelerate that return and that he can kind of similar game at-bats and at-bats against major league caliber stuff.
“I think a lot of that is going to be driven by his comfort. Obviously, he’s a guy who’s been successful in the major leagues. He knows his body, he knows what he’s recovering from, and so those conversation amongst Alex (Cora), our medical staff, Triston and me will determine that. But to some degree, we’re going to have to lean on him when he tells us he’s ready.”
