Red Sox injury updates: Romy Gonzalez feeling ‘a lot better’, Triston Casas, and more
Romy Gonzalez has been on the injured list since April 10 after suffering a left wrist sprain just one day after the Red Sox recalling him from Triple-A Worcester.
The rehabbing infielder is feeling “a lot better” after receiving a cortisone shot, Alex Cora told reporters pregame at Fenway Park on Friday.
“Romy finally feels good today,” Cora said Friday. “He had an injection a few days ago.” This comes one day after Cora told reporters in Cleveland that Gonzalez was not feeling well and was close to returning to action.
“This has kind of changed in two days, to be honest with you,” Cora said. “Two days ago, when he texted me, I was like, ‘This is not going the right way.’”
Gonzalez injured his left wrist trying to make a sliding play while at shortstop during the Red Sox's second home game.
The Florida native had been working out at Polar Park with the WooSox last weekend. He was not doing drills in the field or swinging but working out with free weights in Worcester’s weight room.
Prior to being placed on the injured list, Gonzalez tore the ball off while in Worcester. The 27-year-old has gone 9-for-28 (.321 batting average) with three homers, one double, two triples, one stolen base, and a 1.196 OPS.
Gonzalez is ranked among the top players in the International League. He’s fifth in RBIs (10), third in homers (3), sixth in slugging percentage (.821%), 10th in OPS (1.196), tied for first with triples (2), and sixth in total bases (23).
Additional Red Sox injury updates
First baseman Triston Casas revealed to reporters that he does not have a fractured rib; instead, he has some fractured cartilage that connects his rib cage to his sternum.
“No ribs were fractured, so it’s not a bone thing. It’s more a cartilage thing. The way that the doctors explained it to me,” explained Casas, “is one isn’t better than the other. If it was a muscle, a bone, or cartilage, they’re all similar timetable schedules. It’s not like one’s better than the other. Everything in the midsection takes a long time to heal and mend, and there’s a lot of torque and rotation that happens during your swing that needs to be perfect. As of right now, it’s just a lot of rest to help it heal. But no real rehabilitation process to go through for this type of injury.
“I’m not happier about one diagnosis vs. the next, but it’s just going to take time to heal.”
Casas said that he initially felt the discomfort during the Red Sox's last homestead in an at-bat against the Cleveland Guardians’ Ben Lively.
Second baseman Vaughn Grissom could make his season debut with the Red Sox as early as next Tuesday. He has been rehabbing with the WooSox after missing the spring with a left hamstring strain. Grissom did not play for Worcester on Friday night but will play nine innings during both Saturday and Sunday’s games on the road in Toledo.
Nick Pivetta will throw a 50-pitch live batting practice on Saturday. If all goes well, the Red Sox could send him on a rehab assignment with either Portland or Worcester next week.
Reliever Isaiah Campbell has been sidelined with a shoulder impingement since April 12, and Cora said the right-hander is “feeling better” and is playing catch up to 90 feet.
“Saw him today for the first time in a week, and he feels like everything he’s doing in the training room is helping him to bounce back,” Cora said.
