Triston Casas injured in the first inning of Saturday's game; Red Sox to recall catcher Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Worcester
Triston Casas injured in the first inning of Saturday's game; Red Sox to recall catcher Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Worcester
It’s looking like Triston Casas is heading to the injured list after suffering a left rib injury in the first inning of the Red Sox's 4-2 win over the Pirates.
Following the game, Casas was not in the clubhouse to speak with team reporters. The slugger was taken off-site to undergo testing on his rib area. When Red Sox beat writers asked skipper Alex Cora about Casas’ condition, he was completely transparent about his situation.
“No. He’s not doing OK,” Cora said. “They’re checking on him right now. You got the report from everybody, so they’re checking on him. We’ll know more over the course of the night.”
The injury occurred during Casas’ first inning at-bat, where he worked a walk off Pirates starter Mitch Keller. In Casas's last swing of the at-bat, he appears on the NESN telecast to flinch as he walks out of the batter’s box.
“There was a swing in that first at-bat—I don’t know how many swings—but he stretched out,” Cora said. “I think it was right in the middle (of the at-bat). He ended up walking. And when he came in, he was like, ‘I can play defense, but you need someone to hit for me in the next at-bat.’”
The Red Sox will recall catcher Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Worcester. He will meet the team in Pittsburgh for the series finale at PNC Park. Heineman was scratched from the WooSox lineup for the second half of the doubleheader at Polar Park.
Heineman being added to the Red Sox roster seems odd, but he is the last position player on the 40-man roster who is healthy, not with the big league team. The veteran catcher has played 104 big league games in his career, he will be the team’s third catcher and an option off the bench. Boston could utilize Connor Wong at second base and have Reese McGuire and Heineman handle the catching duties.
If Casas is going to miss an extended period of time, the organization is thin on internal first-base options. Bobby Dalbec is the top option, with Rob Refsnyder having some experience at the position. Niko Kavadas and Nathan Hickey are two other options that are platooning at the position in Worcester. Externally, the Red Sox could bring back C.J. Cron or claim Jared Walsh, who was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Saturday.
Players like Nick Sogard, Jamie Westbrook, and Eddy Alvarez would require the Red Sox to designate another player for assignment off the 40-man roster. Another option is to move Brandon Walter or Bryan Mata to the 60-day IL.
