Pink Sox first baseman Triston Casas exited right this moment’s sport towards the Pirates within the first inning resulting from what the membership has termed left rib discomfort. As famous by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, supervisor Alex Cora indicated to reporters after the sport that he was “involved” about Casas’s damage and that the primary baseman had left the ballpark to endure additional testing. Whereas it’s not completely clear how severe Casas’s damage is, it seems the membership is at the least making ready for the likelihood that an IL stint will probably be required as Cotillo additionally studies that journeyman catcher Tyler Heineman is about to affix the membership in Pittsburgh tomorrow as the one wholesome place participant on the membership’s 40-man roster who isn’t already on the energetic roster.
If Casas have been to overlook an prolonged time frame, it could be brutal information for the Pink Sox. The 24-year-old slugger has gotten off to a superb begin to date this season with a .244/.337/.513 slash line with six residence runs in simply 89 journeys to the plate. The teen’s robust numbers early within the 2024 season are a continuation of his sizzling second half final 12 months, when he slashed an unimaginable .317/.417/.617 in 211 journeys to the plate after the All Star break.
It’s the newest in a collection of damage woes for Boston, because the membership has already misplaced Trevor Story, Vaughn Grissom, Tyler O’Neill, and Romy Gonzalez to the injured checklist whereas Rafael Devers has missed every of the final three video games after coping with discomfort in his left knee earlier this week that ultimately required him to be despatched for an MRI. If even one among Devers or Casas, the Pink Sox could be stretched unimaginable skinny by way of infield depth, and IL stints for each of the membership’s common nook infielders would depart the membership with a patchwork infield involving not one of the membership’s on-paper starters on the primary.
Middle fielder Ceddanne Rafaela has taken over at shortstop in current days following Story’s damage, whereas Enmanuel Valdez has stuffed in for Grissom at second base up to now within the season. Bobby Dalbec has stuffed in for Devers at third base in current days and has loads of expertise at first that would permit him to interchange Casas as wanted, leaving the likes of Pablo Reyes and David Hamilton to behave as utility infielders off the bench and/or deal with the new nook in Devers’ stead if essential.
Cotillo additionally notes that outfielder Rob Refsnyder took reps at first base whereas rehabbing earlier this season, however the 33-year-old hasn’t appeared on the infield grime since 2018 and any appearances on the infield would additional deplete an outfield combine that has already misplaced Rafaela to the infield and O’Neill to the injured checklist. With that being mentioned, depth choices corresponding to Dalton Guthrie and Eddy Alvarez can be found on the Triple-A stage to be referred to as up if essential, although neither is at the moment on the 40-man roster and would subsequently require a corresponding transfer to be made to ensure that Boston to pick their respective contracts.