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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 23, 2024 16:54:15 GMT -5
Triston Casas Facing Notable Absence Due To Rib Fracture
By Steve Adams and Darragh McDonald | April 23, 2024 at 3:45pm CDT
Red Sox skipper Álex Cora acknowledged over the weekend that there was concern about a potentially “lengthy absence” for first baseman Triston Casas following a rib injury, and it now seems those fears were warranted. Cora announced to the Red Sox beat that an MRI revealed a left rib fracture for Casas (X link via MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo), adding that the slugger is expected to be sidelined for “a while.” Cora didn’t delve into specifics but noted that Bobby Dalbec will pick up the bulk of playing time at first base in his absence.
The news is obviously rough for the Red Sox, as Casas has emerged as a consistently above-average hitter early in his career. Though he just turned 24 years old in January, he now has 687 major league plate appearances with 35 home runs and a walk rate of 14.7%. His 25.5% strikeout rate is a bit on the high side but the power and the free passes have led to a 252/.362/.482 batting line and 129 wRC+.
The Sox will now have to proceed without that production for some nebulous amount of time. “Time-table? There’s none,” Cora said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “This has to heal on its own. We’ve just got to be patient.”
Regardless of the eventual length of his absence, it adds to a growing pile of injuries for the Red Sox. Trevor Story is out for the year due to shoulder surgery. Vaughn Grissom hasn’t yet made his debut with the team due to a groin strain, though he is on a rehab assignment and getting closer to joining the big league club. The rotation is without Lucas Giolito, Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta at the moment. The Sox have managed to go 13-10 so far and stay afloat in a tough A.L. East race, but each injury will make it harder to keep that up as the grind of the season continues.
For now, Dalbec will step in at first base, despite having hit .033/.121/.067 on the year so far. He has generally hit will in Triple-A over the years but struggled whenever brought up to the majors. He has hit .224/.291/.434 in the big leagues, 93 wRC+, while striking out in 36.5% of his plate appearances. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has hit .265/.372/.558 in the minors. His 33.8% strikeout rate down on the farm in that time has still been high but that production leads to a 129 wRC+.
The Sox will be hoping that a run of consistent playing time will help Dalbec get into a groove and have his major league numbers more closely resemble what he’s done in the minors. The Sox could also keep their eyes open for other options. The Cubs just designated first baseman Garrett Cooper for assignment and Boston is a sensible landing spot for him, though it’s one of many. If the Red Sox end up finding someone they like for the first base gig more than Dalbec, he can play other positions and is also still optionable.
Assuming Casas is going to miss at least a couple of months, he’ll be moved to the 60-day injured list whenever the club needs a roster spot. He was already placed on the 10-day IL on the weekend.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 24, 2024 11:23:47 GMT -5
Red Sox Considering C.J. Cron
By Steve Adams | April 24, 2024 at 10:08am CDT
The Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas for a yet-to-be-determined but significant period of time yesterday, as the 24-year-old slugger was diagnosed with a left rib fracture. Manager Alex Cora said at the time that Bobby Dalbec would get the bulk of playing time at first base in lieu of Casas, but it seems the Sox are also mulling the possibility of going outside the organization. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that Boston has had some initial talks about bringing veteran C.J. Cron back to the organization.
Cron, 34, was with the Sox during spring training but was granted his release in late March after he triggered an opt-out clause. The veteran slugger saw action in just six spring games and went 3-for-15 with a pair of walks. He remains unsigned.
Middling as those small-sample spring numbers may be, Cron has a long and generally productive track record at the big league level. He’s a career .260/.320/.471 hitter who’s hit 25 or more home runs in four different seasons, including a 29-homer campaign as recently as the 2022 season with the Rockies. Cron hit .260/.304/.476 and popped 11 homers in 56 games with the Rox last season before being traded to the Angels — his original organization — at the deadline. He slumped to a .200/.259/.260 line in 15 games post-trade, however, and twice hit the injured list due to lower back troubles over the final two months of the season.
Cron has had four IL placements due to back and neck injuries since the 2021 season, and he missed the majority of the shortened 2020 campaign after damaging a ligament in his knee while fielding a grounder — an injury that eventually required surgery. It’s been a tough few years on the health front, but Cron has typically been a productive bat when he’s been on the field. Given the fact that he’s still unsigned after opting out of a minor league deal, one would imagine the cost to sign him would be affordable as well.
There are other options for the Sox to consider if they indeed go outside the organization. Fellow veteran Brandon Belt remains unsigned despite a hefty .254/.369/.490 slash and 19 home runs in 404 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last year. That performance checked in 38% better than league average, by measure of wRC+ (138). The Cubs also just designated veteran Garrett Cooper for assignment despite a rather productive 41 plate appearances to begin his season (.270/.341/.432, 118 wRC+). Cooper has punched out in more than 30% of his plate appearances and benefited from a .391 BABIP, which could be red flags for the Sox and other interested parties, however.
For now, it’ll be Dalbec getting the looks at first base, though it’s hardly a surprise that the Sox aren’t comfortable simply handing him the keys at first base. The former hit 33 home runs in his first 156 big league games from 2020-21 but has since batted just .198/.268/.337 (65 wRC+) in 441 plate appearances — all while punching out at a glaring 37.2% clip. Even more concerning is Dalbec’s start to the 2024 season. The 28-year-old has taken 35 plate appearances and gone 1-for-32 with 18 strikeouts.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 24, 2024 11:28:51 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats The Athletic had 40 executives ranked the top five front offices in baseball. The Red Sox were one of 14 teams that did not receive a vote.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 24, 2024 13:37:20 GMT -5
Red Sox Place Brayan Bello On Injured List Due To Lat Tightness
By Darragh McDonald | April 24, 2024 at 1:32pm CDT
The Red Sox announced that right-hander Brayan Bello has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 21, with right lat tightness. Right-hander Zack Kelly has been recalled in a corresponding move.
More to come.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2024 11:11:20 GMT -5
Red Sox exploring first base additions; who are the options?
Published: Apr. 25, 2024, 11:59 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
The Red Sox learned earlier this week that Triston Casas has a fractured rib and won’t be available for an extended period of time.
For now, his replacement is Bobby Dalbec, who is slashing .054/.125/.081, with just two hits in 37 at-bats and 19 strikeouts. Clearly, the Red Sox could use an upgrade at the position.
It’s nearly impossible to pull of a trade just a month into the season and there’s little to choose from internally. But there are a number of options on the free agent market. Here’s a look at a few, along with their perceived plusses and minuses:
Garrett Cooper: The Red Sox showed some interest in Cooper, 33, in the offseason before he signed with the Chicago Cubs, who designated him for assignment this week. In 12 games with the Cubs, he slashed .270/.341/.432 with a homer and six RBI.
Pro: Right-handed, giving some balance to a lefty-heaving lineup. Has a demonstrated ability to get on base (career .337 OBP).
Con: Doesn’t provide a lot of power (17 homers in 2023 was a career high), and his strikeout rate with the Cubs (31.7 percent) is alarming.
C.J. Cron: Cron was in camp with the Red Sox before the team released him in the final days of spring training after he triggered an opt-out clause and saw limited duty in Grapefruit League play. A veteran of 10 major league seasons. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported earlier this week that the Sox had recently reached out to Cron’s camp.
Pro: Has shown power, with 57 homers combined between 2022-2023. Like Cooper, he’s righthanded.
Con: Has battled a variety of back and neck injuries in recent years. After being released, he’s been home and would need several weeks in the minors to get ready to complete in the big leagues.
Brandon Belt: After a dozen years with the San Francisco Giants, Belt played last year in Toronto, where he was a useful player, hitting 19 homers in 103 games with an OPS of .858. At 36, probably not an everyday player anymore, but would offer an alternative to the struggling Dalbec.
Pro: Not the defender he once was, but still basiclly a league-average first baseman. Can still mash, as his .490 slugging percentage from a year ago demonstrates.
Con: Another lefty bat in a lineup full of them. Like Cron, would need to start rom scratch on a minor league assignments, delaying his arrival to the major league roster.
Trey Mancini: Mancini, 32, last played for the Cubs in 2023 and had a disappointing season (.635 OPS) with just four homers in 79 games. Went to camp with Miami, but exercised an opt-out clause in the final week of spring training and didn’t sign elsewhere.
Pro: Reputation as a leader. Can play the outfield in addition to first base, offering some versatility.
Con: Performance has been spotty since his battle with cancer in 2020. Like so many others on this list, would need several weeks of game action to be ready.
Luke Voit: Journeyman slugger who’s been with five organizations over a seven-year career, but spent most of 2023 in the minor leagues. He went to camp with the New York Mets on a minor league deal, but was released in the final days of spring training and hasn’t played since.
Pro: Voit has a history of big-time power when he’s right, with three seasons of 20 homers or more in his career.
Con: High strikeout rate (above 30 percent in each of his last four seasons) and limited defensively.
Jared Walsh: Walsh went to camp with the world champion Texas Rangers and won a job when first baseman Nathaniel Lowe suffered an oblique injury. He began well enough, hitting safely in seven of his first eight games, but soon slumped (.226/.317/.321) and was designated for assignment last weekend. He cleared waivers and refused an assignment to the minors, making him a free agent.
Pro: Walsh had a monster year with the Angels in 2021 (29 homers, 98 RBI. .509 slugging). At 30, he’s one of the youngest players on this list, and he was in the big leagues as recently as a week ago.
Con: Walsh hasn’t been the same since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in 2022 and his strikeout rate has been alarming in recent seasons. Lefthanded, and would further cause lineup imbalance.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2024 14:59:36 GMT -5
Cora: Red Sox Will Continue To Use Ceddanne Rafaela As Primary Shortstop
By Steve Adams | April 25, 2024 at 11:05am CDT
The Red Sox lost Trevor Story to season-ending shoulder surgery less than two weeks into the 2024 campaign, and they’ve cycled through several options there in the interim. However, infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela has started the past six games at the position, and manager Alex Cora said today that he’ll remain the everyday option at shortstop moving forward (X link via Ian Browne of MLB.com).
The 23-year-old Rafaela, who just signed an eight-year $50MM extension earlier this season, is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive outfielders but also has plenty of experience in the infield. He’s played all three positions left of first base, including 766 career frames at shortstop between the minors and the big leagues. Story, Vaughn Grissom and Romy Gonzalez are all on the injured list for the Sox, who’ve also tried David Hamilton and Pablo Reyes at shortstop. Rafaela will be the preferred choice moving forward.
It’s been a rough start to the season at the plate for Rafaela, a top-100 prospect who’s torn through upper-minors pitching but has yet to find much offensive success in the big leagues. The righty-swinging speedster hit .241/.286/.386 in 89 plate appearances during last year’s MLB debut effort and carries a dismal .171/.213/.293 slash through the exact same number of plate appearances thus far in 2024. Even with those struggles, Cora saw fit to give the touted young prospect a vote of confidence with today’s announcement.
The health of the rest of the roster could always chance the calculus, of course. The Sox currently figure to run with a primary outfield of Tyler O’Neill, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu for the foreseeable future. An injury to any of that trio could push Rafaela back into the outfield, at least on occasion — particularly if and when Grissom and Gonzalez heal up to replenish some infield depth.
It’s perhaps not ideal to have an elite defensive outfielder operating as the everyday shortstop in the long run, but Rafaela is regarded as a plus defensive second baseman as well and has thus far handled shortstop plenty capably. That versatility is part of the reason the Sox valued him enough to put forth that extension offer in the first place. Even if his long-term home is likely in center field, he can help patch things over in the infield when injuries mount as they have thus far in 2024.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2024 20:10:15 GMT -5
Red Sox have 12 players on the injured list; who will come back first?
Published: Apr. 25, 2024, 3:09 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
CLEVELAND — The Red Sox entered play Thursday with 12 players on the injured list. Pitchers Lucas Giolito and Chris Murphy (elbow surgery) and shortstop Trevor Story (shoulder surgery) are out for the season. Reliever Liam Hendriks (Tommy John recovery) and first baseman Triston Casas (rib fracture) will be out for the foreseeable future. Righty Bryan Mata (right hamstring strain) is throwing in Fort Myers but doesn’t seem to be on the verge of a rehab assignment.
So that leaves six Red Sox players (we’ll leave out catcher Tyler Heineman, who lasted one day on the active roster before being sidelined with a hamstring strain Tuesday) who could come back and make an impact in the foreseeable future. Starters Nick Pivetta (flexor strain), Garrett Whitlock (oblique strain) and Brayan Bello (lat tightness) are among the potential returnees, as are second baseman Vaughn Grissom (hamstring strain), reliever Isaiah Campbell (shoulder impingement) and utility man Romy Gonzalez (wrist sprain).
Barring setbacks, it appears Grissom and Pivetta, in that order will be the first players to be activated. Whitlock and Bello are not expected to be out long but are at the early stages of their rehab. Campbell and Gonzalez are further away, according to manager Alex Cora. Here’s the latest:
* Grissom, who has not played yet this season, is getting close. He has played in six rehab games at Triple-A Worcester and is 4-for-18 with a double. The second baseman walked three times Thursday and is playing again Friday.
Cora said Grissom, who joined the WooSox on April 12, is unlikely to be called up to play for the Red Sox against the Cubs this weekend. That means he’ll likely make his team debut in the middle of next week when Boston hosts the Giants. May 1 marks the end of the 20-day maximum period Grissom can spend rehabbing. So the Red Sox could target next Tuesday or Wednesday to bring him up.
“We’ll sit down tomorrow and see where we’re at,” Cora said. “I don’t want to rush him. He put pressure on himself in spring training to get back sooner rather than later and we paid the price. Now, we have to play it slow.”
The Red Sox have liked Grissom’s approach and defense at second base despite the lack of results.
“(WooSox manager) Chad (Tracy) is impressed,” Cora said. “Something about him, we know he can hit for average. But the way he impacts the baseball has been impressive.”
* Pivetta may not be far behind Grissom on the calendar. The righty, who made only two starts before hitting the IL in mid-April, is slated to face hitters for the first time since the shutdown over the weekend at Fenway Park. From there, he’ll likely make a rehab start for the WooSox in the middle of next week. That means activation could come when the Red Sox face the Braves for two games in Atlanta on May 7-8.
“I want a rehab (start),” Cora said. “We don’t need the three-inning, four-inning starts. It would put us in a bad spot and he knows it. Knowing Nick, taking one more step could benefit him.”
* Whitlock and Bello are not close to returning but aren’t expected to be out long. Whitlock remained in Boston instead of traveling with the team and is playing catch. The Red Sox will meet Friday to map out his return to the mound in the coming days.
Bello was just placed on the injured list Wednesday (retroactive to April 21) so he’s just starting the rehab process. Cora said he was doing cardio work behind the scenes Thursday to simulate a start day without throwing.
Whitlock and Bello could both be on track to return in early to mid-May. Bello will first be eligible May 7.
* Gonzalez was working out with the WooSox last week and appeared to be getting close to returning but Cora said things are not going as smoothly as the team hoped. The utility man, who is expected to mix in at first base and other spots when healthy, is still feeling stiffness in his sprained wrist.
“Romy is not progressing the way he wanted,” Cora said. “It’s tough on him because he saw an opportunity to be here. But we’ve just got to be patient with him.”
Campbell, who hit the IL on April 12, is playing catch up to 90 feet.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2024 5:47:28 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2024 14:19:01 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier The Red Sox signed RHP Sal Romano to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Worcester. The Connecticut native spent parts of 5 years in the big leagues from 2017-21 with the Reds and Yankees. 3:46 PM · Apr 26, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2024 15:23:13 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier Triston Casas said he didn’t fracture his rib, but rather suffered torn cartilage - an unusual injury without contact. He was told by the doctor that he “created my own car crash.” Timetable is wide - “3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks” - to start cardio actuvity/strengthening.
Casas did say he’s very optimistic he’ll return this season. ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2024 16:59:18 GMT -5
Triston Casas clarifies nature of injury, likens it to ‘car crash’ inside body
Published: Apr. 26, 2024, 4:57 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
BOSTON — Triston Casas does not, in fact, have a fractured rib, but rather some fractured cartilage which connects his ribcage to his sternum.
“No ribs were fractured, so it’s not a bone thing. It’s more a cartilage thing. The way that the doctors explained it to me,” offered Casas, “is one isn’t better than the other. If it was. muscle or a bone or cartilage, they’re all similar timetable schedules. It’s not like one’s better than the other, Everything in the midsection takes a long time to heal and mend and there’s a lot of torque and rotation that happens during your swing that needs to be perfect. As of right now, it’s just a lot of rest to help it heal. But no real rehabilitation process to go through for this type of injury.
“I’m not happier about one (diagnosis) vs. the next, but it’s just going to take time to heal.”
The Red Sox’ hulking first baseman said he first felt some discomfort in the area on the last homestand, pinpointing an at-bat against Cleveland’s Ben Lively as the origin of the injury.
A doctor told Casas that his injury is more common with football players and hockey players, usually the result of a violent collision.
“He pretty much chalked it up to me being so big, rotating so fast so many times that I pretty much created a car crash within my body,” said Casas. “He said it was something similar to a pitcher needing Tommy John — an inevitable thing that was going to happen sooner or later.”
Casas hasn’t been given a definitive timetable for recovery, as these sorts of injuries have a wide variance.
“They said anywhere from three weeks to six weeks to nine weeks,” said Casas. “They don’t know. It’s just depending on how my body’s feeling. For right now, I’m still in pain to breathe. My lungs are still hitting my midsection. I’m still getting to 75 percent capacity without pain. So the first step is to feel good breathing before I can move to (cardiovascular activity) and then I’ll move into more anaerobic exercises and then progress. But that’s the first step to feeling better — breathing without pain, so that’s what I’m working on now.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2024 17:00:59 GMT -5
‘Hungry’ Red Sox second baseman facing ‘last hurdle’ before return from IL
Updated: Apr. 26, 2024, 5:06 p.m.|Published: Apr. 26, 2024, 5:02 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Red Sox manager Alex Cora said injured second baseman Vaughn Grissom is scheduled to play nine innings both Saturday and Sunday for Triple-A Worcester at Toledo.
Grissom (hamstring strain) began the regular season on the IL after suffering an injury approximately two weeks into spring training. His 20-day rehab assignment began April 12. May 1 marks the final day of it.
“So this is kind of like the last hurdle probably,” Cora said. “I think as far as like the time, we’re almost there. So he’s feeling good. Took off a few times to steal bases, which means that he is feeling great. Played good defense, put some good at-bats.”
The 23-year-old is 5-for-22 (.227) with a .346 on-base percentage, two doubles, two steals, three walks and seven strikeouts in seven rehab games for Worcester.
Cora said he plans to call WooSox manager Chad Tracy to discuss how he sees Grissom moving in the field.
“But it feels like it’s getting close,” Cora said.
It seems likely he will make his Red Sox debut Tuesday or Wednesday.
Cora said the reports on Grissom’s defense have been “great.”
The Red Sox acquired Grissom from the Braves for starting pitcher Chris Sale on Dec. 30. Cora said at the beginning of spring training (before the injury) that Grissom would get a chance to run away with the starting second base job. He is expected to be the starting second baseman when he returns. He has negative-3 defensive runs saved in 347 career innings at second base.
“It’s going to be a work in progress. We know that,” Cora said about his defense. “But he’s moving well, turning the double plays. He’s put the work. That’s something we’ve learned about this kid from the get-go.”
Cora said Grissom worked on his defense with field coordinator Andrew Wright when he remained in Fort Myers once the regular season began.
“It sucks that he got hurt but when he stayed down there working with Andrew as far as like the defense and all that, he wants to do it right,” Cora said. “And that’s something people are going to enjoy about him. There’s something about him — very good kid, humble kid but hungry. I think that’s the way he plays, too. So he should be fine.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2024 5:53:46 GMT -5
Casas (rib) anticipates playing 'for a good amount of the season' April 26th, 2024 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
0:25
0:27
BOSTON -- Red Sox slugger Triston Casas provided details Friday on his left rib cage injury that will keep him sidelined for a minimum of a few weeks.
The first baseman revealed he has torn cartilage. There was no break in the bones of his rib cage.
“No ribs were fractured,” Casas said. “It's not a bone thing. It's more a cartilage thing. So there's the ribcage and then there's the sternum, and there’s pieces of cartilage that are in between those that connect the two. And that was what was torn, was the cartilage.
“The way that the doctors kind of explained it to me is that one isn't better than the other. [Whether the injury] was a muscle or a bone or cartilage, they’re all similarly timetabled schedules. Everything in the midsection just takes a long time to heal and mend, and there's a lot of torque and rotation that happens during the swing, so everything needs to be perfect.”
In other words, the cartilage needs to heal fully before Casas can ramp back up for a return to action.
Was the 24-year-old given any kind of timetable from the doctors for how long the healing process might take?
“They said anywhere from three weeks to six weeks to nine weeks, “ Casas said. “They don’t know. It’s just depending on how my body is feeling. But for right now, I'm still in pain to breathe. My lungs are still hitting my midsection which I’m still getting to like 75 percent capacity without pain.”
Even without a precise timetable, Casas expressed confidence that he will be back in the lineup for a significant portion of the 2024 season.
“Very optimistic,” Casas said. “I'm feeling better right now with movement every single day. I haven't really thought about the progress I've made in these last couple days. So I'm happy about where I'm at compared to where I was feeling five days ago. So hopefully, I keep getting better every day. That's the plan, and I can hit the ground running right when I get off the IL. So yeah, I anticipate playing for a good amount of the season.”
Casas knows there are no shortcuts he can take in the process of returning to the active roster.
“The first step is to feel good breathing before I can move to cardio and then move into more anaerobic exercises and then progress as I go there,” Casas said. “But that's the first step to feeling better is just breathing without pain. So that's what I'm working on now.”
Casas came out of Boston’s game at Pittsburgh on April 20 after fouling off a 3-1 pitch left him wincing in pain. The injury had started to form in his first at-bat against Ben Lively in a game against the Guardians three days earlier, but the left-handed hitter didn’t realize at the time how significant it would be.
“After that, I was trying to manage it with the trainers, but it was a couple of days, and my body gave in [on April 20],” Casas said.
The doctors indicated to Casas that the injury wasn’t from a specific movement, but likely from years of swinging the bat ferociously with his 6-foot-5 frame.
“From what the doctor explained to me, he said that he had seen these types of injuries in football players and hockey players,” Casas said. “And he had asked me if I had had a collision in the past of some sort that would merit some pain in my midsection. And I told him, ‘No.’
“And he pretty much chalked it up to me being so big, rotating so fast so many times that I pretty much created a car crash within my body. And it was a matter of time before this happened. He said it was something similar to a pitcher needing Tommy John, just an inevitable thing that was going to happen sooner or later.”
As for Casas, a key cog in Boston’s lineup, he just hopes his return is sooner rather than later.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2024 11:33:19 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ .@alexspeier on why the Red Sox weren’t willing to match the Cubs 4-year, $53 MM offer to Shoto Imanaga:
“The Sox declined to match — a stance driven by a number of factors, including, according to multiple major league sources, a guaranteed term of more years for a player about whom they had medical concerns.”
Red Sox were the first team to make an offer during the offseason. It was a 2-year deal worth $26 MM (2 additional vesting years).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2024 15:33:24 GMT -5
Red Sox Acquire Garrett Cooper By Mark Polishuk | April 27, 2024 at 2:39pm CDT
The Red Sox have acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper, the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish writes (via X). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported (X link) earlier this afternoon that the Sox were “closing in on” a deal for Cooper’s services, and Cotillo and Sean McAdam report that the Cubs will receive cash considerations in return.
Chicago designated Cooper for assignment earlier this week, and today’s trade officially ends Cooper’s time in Wrigleyville after 12 games and 41 plate appearances. Cooper signed a minor league deal with the Cubs during the offseason and made the Opening Day roster, then hit a respectable .270/.341/.432 with one home run over those 41 PA.
The Cubs intended to use Cooper as a veteran complement to Michael Busch at first base, but Busch has hit so well that the Cubs simply couldn’t take him out of the lineup, limiting Cooper’s playing time to mostly DH and pinch-hitting work. Cooper was also DFA’ed so Chicago could add Matt Mervis to the active roster, as Mervis was on such a heater at Triple-A that the Cubs wanted to give him more of a look in their lineup, leaving Cooper as even more of an odd man out.
While Cooper’s avenues to playing time were closed off in Chicago, the Red Sox had an unwelcome vacancy created at first base when Triston Casas went on the 15-day IL. Casas’ recovery timeline is still very fluid, as Casas stated that estimates have ranged from anywhere from 3-9 weeks. Boston had interest in Cooper back in January when he was still a free agent, and the Sox have now finally landed their man perhaps a few months later than expected.
Over eight MLB seasons, Cooper has hit .268/.337/.435 over 1854 career plate appearances, with 57 home runs. Translating to a 111 wRC+, Cooper tended to fly under the radar as a member of a rebuilding Marlins team for much of his career, and his playing time was further limited by injuries. He even made the All-Star team in 2022, though Cooper’s production dipped to a modest .251/.304/.419 over 457 combined PA with Miami and San Diego in 2023.
Cooper made a pair of appearances in left field for the Cubs this season, marking his first bit of outfield work since 2021. While not exactly a versatile player, Cooper can at least chip in as an outfielder in a pinch, extending his value to the Red Sox even after Casas eventually returns. With Cooper now on the roster, Bobby Dalbec (acting as the interim first baseman) is probably getting sent back to Triple-A, as Dalbec has struggled badly at the the plate this season.
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