After spending nearly four months on the injured list, the Boston Red Sox are expected to activate Triston Casas ahead of Friday’s game in Baltimore. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that Casas is en route to Baltimore and is expected to rejoin the Boston lineup against the Orioles on Friday.
The 24-year-old first baseman has been sidelined since late April after suffering a cartilage tear in his left ribcage. Dominic Smith has been holding down the fort at first base for Boston and has done well in Casas absence. But Casas long-awaited return can hopefully provide a spark for a Red Sox offense that desperately needs it.
Red Sox Expected to Activate Triston Casas from Injured List
Entering the season, the Red Sox were already thin on right-handed bats in their lineup. Casas and shortstop Trevor Story would have been Boston’s top two righties, but they both have been sidelined with injuries. Story underwent what was expected to be season-ending shoulder surgery in April and will likely not be returning this season. Casas, however, was always expected to return to the Red Sox lineup at some point this season.
In the 22 games he played before his injury, Casas hit .244/.344/.513 with six homers and 10 RBI. On Thursday, he his seventh two-bagger since beginning his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on July 30. Casas concluded his 11-game rehab stint with a .300/.404/.550 slash line along with one homer and seven RBI.
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Red Sox have been struggling. Boston has lost five of their last seven games while batting just .238 as a team in that span. Despite this, the Red Sox only trail the third Wild Card spot by two and a half games. Casas will be Boston’s everyday first baseman down the stretch, though he will likely get a few extra off days. Still, Casas can certainly give the Red Sox a much-needed boost as they look to make the postseason.
