Triston Casas returns to the field, managing pain and working to get back to the Red Sox
Triston Casas is finally back on the baseball field, ramping up his return to the Red Sox lineup.
Casas, who has been on the injured list since April 21 with torn cartilage in his left rib cage, made his first rehab appearance for the Worcester Red Sox on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old first baseman went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the WooSox’ 11-6 victory over the Buffalo Bisons at Polar Park.
“I’m feeling good; I’m going to give a good push and see what I got but feeling good, happy to be back here in Worcester,” Casas said to the media in the dugout prior to the game. “It’s been a long time coming, a lot of emotions for sure, getting back to this point. So many people pushed me to get here, and I’m happy to be feeling good enough to come out here and play.
“I’m really excited,” Casas continued. “It’s been a lot of work; a mental grind as well as a physical one, but I like where I’m at in both places, and from here forward it’s about production, so I have to focus on playing well, getting hits, and making sure I’m feeling good.”
Casas said that when he first suffered the injury, he struggled, being unable to breathe, get out of bed, or put clothes on without dealing with pain for roughly a month.
“It really was a grueling process,” Casas said.
“Living was pretty unbearable for about a month. Originally, I could get to about a quarter of a breath until pain, then halfway. It was a month before I was breathing regularly,” Casas added.
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Casas said he is not pain-free yet and still feels some pain at times. He said that swinging the bat has been one of the activities he’s been trying to do without pain.
“It’s manageable,” Casas said of the discomfort in his rib cage. “It’s still in the remodeling phase. Doctors and staff advised me this is part of the process. It’s still healing and getting better, but it’s a normal thing, and it will get better as time goes on.”
He also said he got a different perspective from being on the bench for games while dealing with the injury and watching his teammates battle for a playoff spot.
“Seeing that every day has been my motivation,” Casas said. “There’s a lot of energy in the clubhouse, and it shows up on the field. It’s really exciting; everyone is playing really well. Hopefully I can come back and not miss a beat and help win games.”
