The Boston Red Sox can’t catch a break. The team features a surprisingly dominant pitching staff and sits two games above .500. While many would have signed up for that at the beginning of the year, the team sits in last place with multiple important pieces out with injury.
Unfortunately, the blows keep coming. The Red Sox announced on Sunday that they placed first baseman Triston Casas on the 10-day Injured List with a left rib strain. Boston will call up catcher Tyler Heineman from Triple-A to take Casas’ place on the roster.
The #RedSox today placed 1B Triston Casas on the 10-Day Injured List with a left rib strain.
To fill Casas’ spot on the active roster, the club recalled C Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 21, 2024
Boston Red Sox Place Triston Casas on the Injured List
Casas clearly experienced discomfort during his first-inning at-bat in Boston’s Saturday matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. While he finished the at-bat (and earned a walk), he did not come out to play defense after the inning.
When manager Alex Cora spoke to reporters after the game, Casas was still getting tests done. However, his initial outlook did not seem positive.
Here's the last swing Triston Casas took before walking. pic.twitter.com/YA5FPLOFuj
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 20, 2024
During the post-game press conference, Cora said, “No, he’s not doing OK … we’re checking on him, we’ll know more throughout the night. When he came in [to the dugout], he said, ‘I can play defense, but you need somebody to hit for me.’”
Sunday’s news confirms the manager’s anxiety about the young slugger. While the Red Sox have dealt with injuries to key pieces all season, losing Casas is still a crushing blow. The 24-year-old leads the team in OPS (.857) and is among the team leaders in RBI and homers.
Instead of anchoring the lineup, Casas will join Trevor Story, Tyler O’Neill, and Vaughn Grissom as position players on the injured list. This doesn’t even include that the team’s best hitter, Rafael Devers, has been out of the lineup recently with a bone bruise in his left knee.
Bobby Dalbec replaced Casas at first in Saturday’s game and is expected to see increased playing in his absence. Malbec has struggled mightily in recent years. While he has upside and a pedigree as a former top prospect, Casas to the injured list could serve a fatal blow to the 2024 Red Sox.
Main Photo Credits: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
