BOSTON — Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has appeared in seven rehab games for Triple-A Worcester. He’s 8-for-28 (.286 batting average) with a .375 on-base percentage, .464 slugging percentage, .839 OPS, five doubles, four RBIs, four runs, three walks and nine strikeouts.
What more do the Red Sox need to see before they are ready to activate him from the 60-day IL?
“Right now it’s him. It’s up to him,” manager Alex Cora said Friday at Fenway Park. “He’s healthy. Like I said, he’s been taking grounders for a long time. I think the baseball part of it, the physical part of it, he’s ready to go. Now the timing of it.”
Casas is with the WooSox in Syracuse this week. Friday’s game has been postponed due to inclement weather. Worcester and Syracuse will play a doubleheader Saturday.
Casas is on the 60-day IL with some fractured cartilage which connects his ribcage to his sternum. He hasn’t appeared in a game for Boston since April 20.
The 24-year-old slugger was batting .244 with a .344 on-base percentage, .513 slugging percentage, .857 OPS, six home runs, three doubles, 10 RBIs, 12 runs, 12 walks and 26 strikeouts in 22 games (90 plate appearances) before landing on the IL.
“He will let us know,” Cora said. “He’s been hitting the ball hard. … We knew it was going to take time. At one point it’s going to end so we’ll talk about him today. We’ll see how it goes over the weekend and we’ll see where we are next week. But one thing for sure, he’ll be part of this and we’re excited to get him back.”
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Other Red Sox injury updates
~ Righty reliever Justin Slaten, who has been on the 15-day IL since July 12 with right elbow inflammation, threw out to 105 feet. “So hopefully this week he gets on the mound and throws a bullpen,” Cora said.
~ Righty reliever Liam Hendriks (returning from Tommy John surgery) will throw his second live BP on Saturday. It’s the second of three scheduled live BPs before going out on a rehab assignment.
~ Trevor Story will take batting practice on the field Monday. The Red Sox had expected him to miss the rest of the season after he dislocated his shoulder, fracturing the glenoid rim and suffered labrum damage diving for a ball April 5. But manager Alex Cora now fully believes he will return this season.
~ Cooper Criswell was placed on the COVID list. He initially was scheduled to start Saturday against the Astros. The Red Sox have not yet named a starter to replace him.
