As the unofficial start of the second half of the season begins Friday, the Red Sox are eagerly awaiting the eventual return of first baseman Triston Casas to their lineup. That return, however, still isn’t imminent.
Triston Casas hasn't gotten to the point where he's facing live pitching quite yet
Casas, who has been out since April 21 after tearing cartilage in his rib cage, has ramped up to the point where he’s hitting off a Tee and taking soft toss swings at 100% but has not yet started taking batting practice or facing live pitching. Asked when Casas could start a rehab assignment that would serve as the last step before his return, manager Alex Cora pumped the brakes.
“He’s still far,” Cora said.
Casas, who remained in Boston instead of traveling west with the team, likely still needs more than a week before he starts taking BP at full capacity. There will still be strength to build up then, putting Aug. 1 out of reach. August represents a best-case scenario, though the Red Sox have ruled out — barring a significant setback — the possibility of Casas missing the rest of the year.
“He’s going to be part of this,” Cora said. “When? We don’t know yet.”
Casas’ timetable has shifted multiple times in the last few weeks because the first baseman continually set lofty goals for himself that were not exactly in line with his recovery process. At first, he aimed to be back on the first day he was eligible to be taken off the IL (June 21), then said sometime around July 1. Those dates passed without significant progress. And because Casas’ injury — which doctors consider to be structurally healed in full — is about feel, the real return date comes down to when he can swing with zero pain. That process takes some time.
Here are some other injury updates from Cora’s pregame session at Dodger Stadium:
* Infielder Vaughn Grissom (right hamstring strain) will begin a rehab assignment Saturday at Triple-A Worcester and is expected to spend a significant amount of time there before being activated. Two hamstring strains have limited Grissom to just 23 games so far this year; he missed 32 games to start the year and has missed 36 with the most recent strain.
Grissom will join the WooSox in Allentown, Pa.
“With the whole traveling thing today, it messed up the timing of him getting to where they’re at on time,” Cora said. “He’s going to work out and all that and play tomorrow.”
* Relievers Chris Martin and Justin Slaten (both have right elbow inflammation) are back in Boston and not with the team. Neither has restarted a throwing program at this point.
Slaten, who was placed on the IL last Friday (retroactive to July 9), almost certainly won’t return when he’s first eligible Wednesday (July 24). But he’s hopeful to make progress in the coming days.
“He’s feeling better but he hasn’t thrown,” Cora said. “The plan is for him to keep getting treatment over the weekend and start throwing early next week.”
Martin had his throwing program shut down last weekend but the Sox still don’t think his elbow issue is serious. He has been out since July 4 and is eligible to return whenever he feels up to it. That moment is not imminent.
“He went home (to Texas) and he’s going to Boston to keep rehabbing and see where we’re at,” Cora said. “From what I know right now, no imaging. So hopefully with the rest and staying away from trying to throw, he feels better.”
Head athletic trainer Brandon Henry remained in Boston to work with the rehabbing players.
* Reliever Liam Hendriks (Tommy John surgery recovery) is still throwing fastball-only bullpens every couple of days. It’s unclear when he’ll progress to face live pitching.
“He’s still a long ways away,” Cora said.
